Harris defends policy flip-flops in preview of first interview since ascending ticket

Vice President Kamala Harris defended flip-flopping on key policies such as energy in a preview clip of her first sit-down interview with the media since ascending the Democratic presidential ticket. 

‘Generally speaking, how should voters look at some of the changes that you’ve made?’ CNN host Dana Bash asked Harris in the preview clip released late Thursday afternoon. ‘… Is it because you have more experience now, and you’ve learned more about the information? Is it because you were running for president in a Democratic primary? And should they feel comfortable and confident that what you’re saying now is going to be your policy moving forward?’

Harris responded that her ‘values have not changed’ throughout her political career. 

‘I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed. You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed, and I have worked on it, that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act,’ Harris responded. 

Harris has been accused by voters, political pundits and the Trump campaign of flip-flopping on key policies since emerging as the Democratic Party’s nominee since President Biden dropped out of the race last month. On fracking, for example, Harris’ campaign announced last month that the vice president did not support a ban on the oil extraction technique that enjoys broad support in battleground states like Pennsylvania.

That position, however, is the opposite of her remarks as a primary candidate during a 2019 CNN town hall event, when Harris said there is ‘no question I’m in favor of banning fracking.’

Harris has also distanced herself from ‘Medicare for All’ and semiautomatic rifle buyback programs, after publicly touting both programs during her failed primary campaign during the 2020 cycle. 

‘We have set goals for the United States of America, and by extension, the globe, around when we should meet certain standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,’ Harris continued in her comments to CNN on Thursday.

‘As an example, that value has not changed. My value around what we need to do to secure our border. That value has not changed. I spent two terms as the Attorney General of California prosecuting transnational criminal organization, violations of American laws regarding the passage, illegal passage, of guns, drugs and human beings across our border, my values have not changed,’ she said.

The network will release the full interview with Harris at 9 p.m. Thursday evening, with Bash telling her audience Thursday afternoon that the interview will dive into Harris’ policies on handling the economy, inflation, the environment and immigration. 

The interview was conducted in the battleground state of Georgia at Kim’s Cafe, a Black-owned restaurant in Savannah. Harris was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the interview.

Fox News Digital’s Mike Lee contributed to this report.