Vice President Kamala Harris sought to distinguish herself from President Joe Biden in her interview with Fox News on Wednesday, as she defended herself against criticism that there would be no difference between her prospective administration and Biden’s.
“My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” Harris told Fox News anchor Bret Baier. “And like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences and fresh and new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.”
Harris has faced criticism from the right for saying in recent media appearances that she would not have done anything differently from Biden over the past four years, and for a lack of details as to how her presidency might be different from Biden’s. Donald Trump, in particular, has zeroed in on Harris’ remarks to paint her as a mere extension of Biden’s administration.
Rather than set herself apart from the president, Harris often casts herself as the antithesis of Trump, drawing a contrast between her and her Republican rival instead. When asked Wednesday how, after four years as vice president, she would represent “a new way forward” — her campaign slogan — Harris turned the attention to Trump.
“First of all, [by] turning the page from the last decade in which we’ve been burdened by the kind of rhetoric coming from Donald Trump that has been designed and implemented to divide our country,” she told Baier. Harris’ Fox News interview was a calculated risk to win over conservatives who don’t want to vote for Trump but may be unsure about her. Her sitting down with a conservative media outlet for a combative interview also highlights another difference between her and Trump, who prefers friendly media shows and who has pulled out of several interviews with mainstream outlets in recent weeks.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
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