(NewsNation) — Vice President Kamala Harris took questions Tuesday from the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia and addressed the controversial things her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, has said on various issues.
Among other topics, she talked about the threats of violence residents of the city of Springfield, Ohio, have faced after Trump made false claims about immigrants there kidnapping and eating people’s pets.
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Saying “there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe,” Harris also referenced Project 2025, which conservative organizations created as a blueprint for the next Republican presidential administration, as well as GOP-led efforts to restrict abortion access.
Addressing the second assassination attempt against Trump, Harris said in the NABJ interview she feels safe under Secret Service protection. While she spoke with Trump on Tuesday and said he was glad he’s safe, she added that his rhetoric on certain topics should be disqualifying.
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“When you have that kind of microphone in front of you, you really ought to understand at a deep level that your words have meaning,” Harris said. “Let’s turn the page and chart a new way forward and say you can’t have that microphone again.”
Ashley Davis, a former official in the George W. Bush White House, and NewsNation political contributors A. Scott Bolden, Kurt Bardella and Denise Gitsham joined “The Hill on NewsNation” to discuss harmful rhetoric.
Bardella, a Democratic strategist, called out JD Vance for his misinformation about Haitian immigrants, pointing the finger at Republicans.
“This is not a both-sides issue,” he said.
“You don’t get to lecture Democrats about rhetoric when you are the one advancing dangerous and disproven claims in Springfield that is resulting in people not being able to go to school because of bomb threats,” Bardella added.
Davis countered that both sides have a responsibility to tone down their talking points, adding, “I refuse to go on TV shows that argue, and we don’t usually do this. I don’t think it’s right. … I will never criticize Joe Biden, Barack Obama as a sitting president.”
The economy and the Israel-Hamas war were also mentioned during the discussion. While Harris didn’t say specifically how she would end it, she said the hostages need to come home, and there needs to be a path toward peace for Palestinians and Israel.
This interview comes as the Harris campaign is spending time reaching out to both Black and young voters. Polls indicate that they feel energized about the Harris nomination. When surveyed by the NAACP, 78% of Black people said they felt as excited as they did when former President Barack Obama first ran for office. About 56% said they felt even more excited, NewsNation partner The Hill reports.
Still, that same poll showed that over a quarter of younger Black men said they would support Harris’ opponent, Republican Donald Trump, in this year’s U.S. presidential election.
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When it comes to reaching out to younger voters, the Harris-Walz campaign and Democratic National Convention are launching a weeklong effort to engage them. This includes going to college campuses. Obama even took to TikTok to talk with social media influencers about the importance of getting out there to register and vote.
Pennsylvania, where the NABJ conference is being held, is also important to candidates running in the presidential election. Decision Desk HQ polling shows that Harris holds a small lead of 48.1% to Trump’s 47.4%, making it a tight race.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.