Key takes from Harris and Walz's first interview with CNN

Kamala Harris the Democratic nominee and her running mate Tim Walz appeared on CNN on for their first major in-depth interview since launching their bid for the United States presidency.

Harris has faced criticism for avoiding a major media interview since announcing her candidacy late last month. But on Thursday, she and Walz met CNN anchor Dana Bash in the coastal city of Savannah for an hour-long interview, as Harris campaigned across the battleground state of Georgia.

Harris quickly tried to establish her key strength as a unifying candidate, in an attempt to draw a distinction between herself and her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump.

“I believe it is important to build consensus, and it is important to find a common place of understanding of where we can actually solve problems,” Harris said as she sat across from Bash in Kim’s Cafe, a family-owned restaurant in Savannah.

But Bash pressed Harris on the stark changes she has made to her policy platform since she first ran for the presidency in 2020. She also questioned Walz on seeming exaggerations the Minnesota governor made in public statements about his military record.

Here are the key takeaways from Harris’s and Walz interview

Harris outlines plans for day one

Harris has a historically short time span before the November 5 election to win over voters.

She only became frontrunner for the Democratic ticket on July 21, when incumbent President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Harris is currently Biden’s vice president.

As Thursday’s interview opened, Bash asked Harris about her plans for her first day in office, if she is elected in November.

Harris responded by reiterating what she has identified as the top priority for her presidency: bolstering the middle class.

Her administration, she said, would “do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class”.

She and Walz then gave a nod to their signature policy proposal, including a child tax credit, lowering grocery costs and increasing construction to address a housing shortage in the country. Harris also said she would strike a different tone than Trump did in the White House.

“When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think people are ready for a new way forward,” she said.

“I think, sadly, in the last decade, we have had – in the former president – someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the strength and the character of who we are as Americans.”

Later, when asked about Donald Trump’s claims about her racial and gender identity. Last month, Trump questioned Harris’ racial identity at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, suggesting she’d previously identified as South Asian but “happened to turn black” for political purposes.

Harris swatted away his remarks: “Same old tired playbook. Next question, please.”

How she learnt of Biden endorsing her

Bash asked Harris to describe how she learned that Biden was withdrawing from the presidential race in July, only weeks ahead of the Democratic National Convention.

“It was a Sunday,” Harris explained. “My family was staying with us, including my baby nieces, and we had just had pancakes.”

“We were sitting down to do a puzzle, and the phone rang, and it was Joe Biden. And he told me what he had decided to do,” Harris continued.

“I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said yes. And that’s how I learned On July 21, Biden announced the news to the US public, with a statement on his social media accounts. “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down,” he wrote.

But the decision came after Biden gave a poor performance in the June 28 presidential debate against Trump. Many in the Democratic Party expressed concern over the 81-year-old age and ability to handle the pressures of the presidency.