Dem
49
GOP
51
Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump sat for interviews Tuesday. Harris talked with the National Association of Black Journalists. Trump talked with his former press secretary and current governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Here are the interviews:
Harris was asked about polls showing young Black men supporting Trump in much greater numbers than in the past. She admitted that those polls exist and said that she cannot assume any demographic group is in her pocket. She has to earn each one. She said she plans to address barriers that prevent Black men from building wealth. She mentioned student debt, medical debt and bias in home appraisals as issues she wants to deal with. She also has a plan to build more affordable homes. When pressed on Gaza, she repeated what she already has said many times: She favors a hostages-for-ceasefire deal and eventually a two-state solution to the problems in the Middle East.
Harris also ridiculed Trump and J.D. Vance for talking about immigrants eating pets in Ohio. She went on to point out Trump's long history of racism, from refusing to rent apartments in Queens to Black families to calling for the execution of the Central Park Five. She said the current controversy is more of the same old racism from Trump we have always had.
When asked about guns, she said that she would not take anyone's gun away from them, unless it was a military assault weapon. She also supported universal background checks.
Finally, when asked if voters are better off now than 4 years ago, she made the case that they are and that if she wins, they will be even better in 4 more years due to an expanded child tax credit, help for first-time homebuyers, and a ban on price gouging.
In his interview, Trump was asked about the second (sorta) assassination attempt. He said that only consequential presidents get shot at. This would, of course, include the heavy hitters James Garfield, William McKinley, and Gerald Ford. This was Trump's first appearance back on the trail since the second (sorta) attempt on his life, and he seemed no worse off for it.
Trump also said that if Harris wins, the auto industry will disappear in 2-3 years. Then there will be zero manufacturing jobs. His solution to saving the auto industry is more oil drilling and more gasoline production. If history is any guide, this won't be true. During his administration, 8,800 jobs were lost in the auto industry. During Joe Biden's, 128,000 auto jobs were added. The UAW has also endorsed Harris.
Trump rambled during the debate with Harris and rambled again during the interview with Sanders. In an answer about the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he confused Bagram Air Base there with an oil reserve in Alaska. During his ramblings in answering that question, he said he didn't ramble.
Trump also called climate change a hoax. He said that if the ocean rises an eighth of an inch in 400 years, there will be more seafront property. He added: "Isn't that a good thing if I have a little property on the ocean? I have a little bit more property. I have a little bit more ocean."
Sanders made some news herself. She said that on stage, she felt pretty good about herself, but when she got home, her kids made her feel humble, but unfortunately Kamala Harris doesn't have any kids to make her feel humble. Harris' stepkids apparently are not up to the job. This is just another attack on people without children of their own. Specifically women without children. Male politicians without children of their own generally get a pass. We are not sure this line of attack is a good idea politically. See below. In addition, Harris not having humility is a dog whistle for Harris being an uppity Black woman who doesn't know her place. (Hint: It's not the White House, as far as Sanders and Trump are concerned.) (V)