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CNN Live Event/Special
CNN Presidential Town Hall With Kamala Harris. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired October 23, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:35]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening.
Only 13 days to go in one of the most momentous and unusual presidential races in American history. Tonight, Kamala Harris faces voters in the biggest battleground prize, Pennsylvania.
CNN's presidential town hall begins right now.
And welcome. We are live from Chester Township, Pennsylvania, Delaware County, one of the critical counties around Philadelphia that will help determine who wins the White House.
Welcome to CNN's presidential town hall with the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. I'm Anderson Cooper.
Now, in this room, we have assembled a group of 32 Pennsylvania voters who say they are still undecided or persuadable. All of them are registered to vote. Some cast votes for Joe Biden in 2020, others for Donald Trump. Some didn't vote at all. And, for some, this is their first election.
Many are leaning right now to one candidate or another, but they all say they have yet to make their final choice.
Now, we found these voters working with a nonpartisan research firm, as well as business and religious groups, universities, and other civic organizations. These voters are asking their own questions tonight selected by CNN to cover a variety of topics.
You may see them holding a piece of paper when they're asking their question. It has their question it. That is a question they have come up with. It has not been edited in any way by CNN.
We also invited former President Donald Trump to participate in a town hall or debate. He declined.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Vice President Kamala Harris.
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER: Madam Vice President, thank you. Appreciate it. Thanks.
You have a mic right here.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
COOPER: Thank you so much.
HARRIS: Good evening, everyone. Good evening.
COOPER: Thanks so much for being with us.
We're going to get to the audience in just a second.
I want to start by asking you, though. For weeks, you have been calling Donald Trump unstable, unhinged. You have called him dangerous. You have quoted General Milley recently, who called him a fascist. Today, you quoted General Kelly, who said that Trump repeatedly praised Hitler.
HARRIS: Yes.
COOPER: But there are tens of millions of Americans right now who have heard all those things, and they don't buy it, or, even if they do, they're still going to vote for Donald Trump.
He's arguably more popular now than ever. You have 13 days to go. What do you say to those voters to convince them, because some of them are in this room?
HARRIS: Sure.
And I thank you all for taking the time to be here. And you could be doing a number of other things with your time. So this really is proof that we love our country. People are engaged, Anderson, and really want to talk about the issues.
And so the issue that you raise, yes, I do believe that Donald Trump is unstable, increasingly unstable, and unfit to serve.
And I don't necessarily think that everyone has heard what you and I have heard repeatedly, which is, the people who know Donald Trump best, the people who worked with him in the White House, in the Situation Room, in the Oval Office, all Republicans, by the way, who served in his administration, his former chief of staff, his national security adviser, former secretaries of defense, and his vice president, have all called him unfit and dangerous.
They have said explicitly he has contempt for the Constitution of the United States. They have said he should never again serve as president of the United States. We know that is why Mike Pence is not running with him again, why the job was empty.
And then, today, we learned that John Kelly, a four-star Marine general, who was his longest-serving chief of staff, gave an interview recently in the last two weeks of this election talking about how dangerous Donald Trump is.
And I think one has to think about, why would someone who served with him, who is not political, a four-star Marine general, why is he telling the American people now? And, frankly, I think of it as, he's just putting out a 911 call to
the American people. Understand what could happen if Donald Trump were back in the White House. And, this time, we must take very seriously, those folks who knew him best and who were career people are not going to be there to hold him back.
[21:05:00]
At least, before, there were folks who we know what he would say, but they would restrain him. Imagine now, Donald Trump in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room, he who has openly admired dictators, said he would be a dictator on day one. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has said he is a fascist to the core.
So I think that when the American people reflect, especially those who are undecided, on who you should listen to, don't take my word for it. In fact, go online and listen to John Kelly, his voice, talking about what he thinks of Donald Trump two weeks before the election. Because I think we all know, to your point, Anderson, it is close, but there are undecided voters who clearly, by being here, have an open mind, want to talk in a way that is grounded in issues and fact.
And when they hear these facts, I think it compels a lot of people to be concerned about the future of our country with Donald Trump at the lead.
COOPER: You've quoted General Milley calling Donald Trump a fascist. You yourself have not used that word to describe him. Let me ask you tonight, do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?
HARRIS: Yes, I do. Yes, I do. And I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted.
Again, look at their careers. These are not people, with the exception, I think, of only Mike Pence. These were not politicians. These are career people who have served in the highest roles in national security, who have served as generals in our military, who are highly respected, talking about the person who would be commander- in-chief, not to mention what we know and what they've told us about how he talks about the military, servicemen and women, referring to them as suckers and losers. How he demeans people who have taken an oath to sacrifice their life for our country.
And I do believe, Anderson, that part of this is why, even just this week, I traveled this state and others with Liz Cheney, former Congress member who was a very high-ranking Republican. She has endorsed me. Her father, the former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney, is voting for me. Over 400 members of -- previous members of the administration from Ronald Reagan to both Presidents Bush to Donald Trump even have endorsed my candidacy.
And the reason why, among them, is a legitimate fear, based on Donald Trump's words and actions, that he will not obey an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. He himself has said he would terminate the Constitution of the United States and wants to earn your vote to stand again behind the seal of the President of the United States. No one standing behind the seal of the President of the United States of America should be in that position saying they want to terminate the Constitution of the United States.
COOPER: Let's get to some of our voters. This is a -- I want you to meet a registered Republican who's very concerned about Trump's views on democracy and January 6th. She told us she's looking for a reason to vote for you but has yet to make her final decision.
Her name is Natasha Kwiatkowski. She's a student at Bryn Mawr College. What's your question, Natasha?
NATASHA KWIATKOWSKI, STUDENT AT BRYN MAWR COLLEGE: Awesome. Thank you for being here and thank you for taking my question.
HARRIS: Thank you, Natasha.
KWIATKOWSKI: And as someone who hasn't fully committed to either party, how do you plan to address the concerns of independent voters and anti-Trump Republicans like myself who feel left out of the political landscape? And what specific actions would you take to bridge the political divide and create more unity?
HARRIS: That's a wonderful question. I pledge to you to be a president for all Americans. And I think to the point in the spirit of your question that people are frankly exhausted with what has been happening over the several years, which is this environment that is suggesting that Americans should be pointing fingers at one another, that we are divided as a nation, instead of what I think you and I will speak for us, I think, who believe and know the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.
And I think that the American people deserve to have a president who is grounded in what is common sense, what is practical, and what is in the best interest of the people, not themselves.
I started my career as a prosecutor. And I will tell you, I never in my career -- and most of my career was outside of Washington, D.C., by the way.
[21:10:02]
HARRIS: Only four years, when I was in the Senate, were in Washington, other than being vice president.
I have never, in my career as a prosecutor, asked a victim or a witness of a crime, "Are you a Democrat or a Republican?" The only thing I have ever asked is, "Are you OK?"
And I do believe that is what the American people deserve in their president, and not someone who makes decisions based on who voted for them or what is in their personal interest. And I reference that because, as we know, it has been revealed that Donald Trump, when he was president, during extreme disasters, when it came time to determine how those areas, those people who had been traumatized by extreme weather, would get relief, he asked the question, did they vote for him? I believe the American people deserve better. And they deserve a president who is focused on solutions, not sitting in the Oval Office plotting their revenge and retribution.
COOPER: Let me introduce you to Erik Svendsen. He runs a service desk for an IT company in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. He's registered as a Libertarian, describes himself as an independent. He says he's undecided.
Eric?
ERIC SVENDSEN, IT MANAGER: Thank you, Anderson. Thank you both for being here.
HARRIS: Thank you, Eric.
SVENDSEN: So my question is concerning groceries.
HARRIS: Yeah.
SVENDSEN: Grocery prices have gone up quite a bit in the last four years. And some people blame former President Trump. Some people blame President Biden. Who would you say is correct and what would you do to bring prices down for Americans?
HARRIS: Thank you, Eric. And you're absolutely right. You know it. I know it. I think most Americans know it. The price of groceries is still too high. And we need to address it, in a number of ways.
One of my aspects of doing what we need to do to bring down the cost of living for working people and the middle class in America is to address the issue of grocery prices. Part of my background and how I come to it is probably a new approach grounded in a lot of my experiences as a former attorney general, where I took on price gouging.
And part of my plan is to create a new approach, that is the first time that we will have a national ban on price gouging, which is companies taking advantage of the desperation and need of the American consumer and jacking up prices without any consequence or accountability.
So that is one way. But to your point, Eric, there -- you know, there are a number of issues that we need to address in terms of bringing down the cost of living. It includes what we need is, really, a new approach that I bring to the issue of affordable housing, including, for example, rent.
And again, I bring to it my experience, knowing what has been happening in terms of how corporations have been buying up blocks of property to diminish competition, and then rents get jacked up, and addressing that, both in terms of making sure that there is a consequence and accountability for that, but also investing in people's dreams of home ownership, you know, knowing that, for too long, frankly, both administrations -- I mean, both the administrations in both parties, Democrats and Republicans, haven't done enough to deal with the issue of housing.
And we need a new approach that includes working with the private sector. I say that as a -- as a devout public servant, working with the private sector to cut through the red tape, working with home builders, working with developers to create tax incentives so that we can create more housing supply and bring down the price.
COOPER: Let -- let me just ask you about price gouging. I looked at your plan. You talk about going after price gougers -- and I'm quoting from the plan -- on essential goods during emergencies or times of crisis.
I get that. How does that help, though, someone like Eric, with prices that, for years, the grocery price has just been high?
HARRIS: Well, first of all, Anderson, as you know, and, obviously, CNN has been covering extensively what has been happening in the state of Georgia, North Carolina, Florida. It's a real issue. I -- I was attorney general of California. I was the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state in the country.
I took this issue on because it affects a lot of people. And I'm not going to apologize for the fact that we need to actually deal with accountability when these -- not all, in fact most don't, but when companies are taking advantage of the desperation and the need of the American people -- we saw it, actually during the pandemic as well, where, because of supply chain issues, there was a reduction of supply, and then they would inflate the price of everyday necessities, not to mention, by the way, again, Donald Trump should be here tonight to talk with you and answer your questions. He's not. He refused to come.
But understand that part of his plan is to put in place a national sales tax of at least 20 percent on everyday goods and necessities. And that, by economist estimates, independent economists, would cost you, as the American consumer and taxpayer, an additional $4,000 a year.
[21:15:04]
COOPER: I want you to meet Carol Nackenoff, a political science professor at Swarthmore College. She's a registered Democrat who said she's leaning toward voting for you, has yet to make her final decision.
Carol?
HARRIS: Hi, Carol. Thank you.
CAROL NACKENOFF, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT SWARTHMORE COLLEGE: Good evening. Thank you for visiting us in Delaware County, Vice President Harris.
My question is this: if you could accomplish only one major policy goal that required congressional action, what would it be, and why?
HARRIS: Well, there's not just one. I have to be honest with you, Carol. There's a lot of work that needs to happen.
But let's -- let's -- I think that maybe part of this point that -- I how I think about it is we've got to get past this era of politics and partisan politics slowing down what we need to do in terms of progress in our country. And that means working across the aisle.
I've done that before. We did it around whether it be -- what we were able to accomplish with the bipartisan infrastructure deal or some of the work that we have done in terms of dealing with gun safety.
But we've got to work across the aisle and it is my commitment to work with Democrats, with Republicans, with independents to deal with a number of issues.
Whether it be what we need to do in terms of housing and creating legislation that creates incentives for that.
What we need to do to reinstate the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.
Whether it be what we need to do to actually invest in a substantial way in the industries of the future, in American-based manufacturing, in American-based industries where American workers and union workers have those jobs in a way that is good-paying jobs that gives people the dignity they deserve.
All of those areas I plan on working across the aisle and with Congress, including the issue of immigration which we've got to fix.
COOPER: Let me ask you, you've talked about codifying Roe v. Wade. That would obviously require 60 votes in the Senate, a majority of the House.
That's a big -- that's a big leap. You don't -- we don't have that yet.
If that's not possible to codify it in the House, what do you do?
HARRIS: I think we need to take a look at the filibuster to be honest with you, but the reality of it is this, let's talk about how we got here.
When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended. And now, in 20 states, we have Trump abortion bans, that include punishing healthcare providers, doctors and nurses.
In Texas, do you know they provide for prison for life for a health care provider for doing the job that they believe is in the best interest of their patient? Laws -- Trump abortion bans, some that make no exception even for rape or incest?
One of the areas I special in as a -- specialized in as a prosecutor was crimes against women and children. The idea you would tell a survivor of a violation to their body that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next? This is what's happening in our country.
You all may have heard the stories. Women have died. Women have died because of these laws.
And the suffering -- I have to say, Anderson, traveling -- for example, I -- again, I was with Liz Cheney this week. She is unapologetically pro-life and will also tell you that she doesn't agree with what's been happening.
I -- I find that many people I've met who are pro-life have said to me, you know, I didn't intend that this would happen. I would -- I didn't intend that women who are suffering a miscarriage would develop sepsis as has happened many times. I didn't intend that women would die. I didn't intend that there would now be restrictions on access to in vitro fertilization. I didn't intend that there would be an effort to limit access to contraception.
So, you know, this is probably one of the most fundamental freedoms that we as Americans could imagine which is the freedom to literally make decisions about your own body.
And on some issues, I think we've got to agree that partisanship should be put aside.
And I'll close with this point: I know it's possible because when you look at the midterms, in so-called red states and so-called blue states, when this issue of freedom was on the ballot, the American people voted for freedom.
COOPER: This is Leanne Griffiths. She's registered with no party affiliation. She's a student at the University of Pennsylvania.
She says she's leaning toward supporting you, has yet to make up a final decision because she isn't sure who's better for the economy.
Leanne?
HARRIS: Yeah.
LEANNE GRIFFITHS, STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Hi, Vice president. Thank you for being here today.
HARRIS: Of course.
GRIFFITHS: Considering you have been in the pos position of vice president for the past four years under the Biden administration, how can we expect you to deviate from the direction of that administration compared to your own?
[21:20:08]
How can we differentiate your policy and your beliefs from that of Biden's?
HARRIS: That's a great question. And thank you.
Well, first of all, my administration will not be a continuation of the Biden administration. I bring to this role my own ideas and my own experience. I represent a new generation of leadership on a number of issues and believe that we have to actually take new approaches.
For example, what we talked about in terms of housing. I -- my experience that leads to that priority includes what I did to take on the big banks around the foreclosure crisis when I brought billions of dollars to homeowners that were the subject of predatory lending. I know what homeownership means to the American people, not to mention what it meant to my mother, who worked very hard and saved up so that by the time I was a teenager she was able to buy our first home.
I bring to it my experience actually taking care of my mother when she was sick. And it was, as it turned out, dying from cancer. And so I know what it means and have the experience of taking care of an elderly relative and I have raised children.
And so I bring, too, my priorities and will, as president, a new approach and a new idea, frankly, about what we need to do to deal with the sandwich generation, which is what we call those folks who are literally in the middle. Who are raising their young children and taking care of their parents, which is why my plan and approach says, hey, you shouldn't have to -- to wipe out all your savings to qualify for Medicaid to be able to get support, to hire somebody to help you cook for your parent or help them put on a sweater. I've done that. I know what that requires.
You shouldn't have to quit your job in order to do the work that is necessary to take care of your children and your parent because it's overwhelming to try to do it all. And so my plan is to have and allow Medicare to cover the cost of home health care for our seniors.
These are a couple of examples, including what we talked about in terms of price-gouging and what we need to do in addition. And it's a new approach that I think is well overdue. Let's invest in the small businesses of America. I -- the woman who helped raise us was a small business owner. I know who small business owners are. I know what they do. They are the backbone of America's economy. And for too long we've overlooked their value to the economy as a whole, much less to the economy of neighborhoods and communities.
So that's why my plan, and it's a new approach, is about tax cuts for our small businesses so that they can invest in themselves and grow and in the process, invest in communities, invest in neighborhoods, and strengthen our economy overall.
So those are some examples. It's about a new approach, a new generation of leadership based on new ideas and, frankly, different experiences. I bring a whole set of different experiences to this job and the way I think about it than...
COOPER: Some...
HARRIS: Than Joe Biden. COOPER: Some voters, though, might ask, you've been in the White House
for -- for four years. You were vice president, not the president. But why wasn't any of that done over the last four years?
HARRIS: Well, there was a lot that was done, but there's more to do, Anderson. And -- and I'm pointing out things that need to be done that haven't been done but need to be done. And I'm not going to shy away from saying, hey, these are still problems that we need to fix.
COOPER: I want you to meet Jaxon Weiss. He's a student at Drexel University from Flourtown, Pennsylvania, a registered Republican, says he's leaning toward voting for you but has yet to make a final decision.
Jaxon?
JAXON WEISS, STUDENT AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY: Thank you, Anderson.
HARRIS: Hi, Jaxon.
WEISS: Thank you for taking the time to be here too, Vice President Harris.
HARRIS: You too, thank you.
WEISS: Regarding the rapid increase in the migrant population, how will you ensure that every immigrant is integrated into American society safely? What benefits and subsidies will you provide them with? And how long will these benefits and subsidies last for an individual? Most importantly, will the American citizens' taxes pay for these benefits and subsidies? And if so, how much -- how much money will be allocated?
HARRIS: Well, thank you, Jaxon.
Let's start with this. America's immigration system is broken and it needs to be fixed. And it's been broken for a long time. And part of what we need to do is always prioritize what we need to do to strengthen our border. I will tell you, I'm the only person in this race among the two choices that voters have, I've personally prosecuted transnational criminal organizations in the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings. I have spent a significant part of my career making sure that our border is secure and that we do not allow criminals in, and we don't allow that kind of trafficking to happen and come into our country.
[21:25:01]
And as the -- as my opponent has proven himself, he would prefer to run on the problem, instead of fix the problem.
You may know there were some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress working with others that came up with a border security bill that would have put 1,500 more border agents at the border. Those border agents are overwhelmed. They need the support. They need the backup. It would have allowed us to have more resources to stem the flow of
fentanyl. I don't need to tell this state and people around the country what is happening in terms of the scourge of fentanyl and how it is literally killing Americans. It would have put resources into stemming the flow.
It would have given more resources to prosecute -- to investigate and prosecute transnational criminal organizations. It would have done a lot of good. Donald Trump got wind of the bill and told them, don't put it forward. He killed the bill because he preferred to run on a problem, instead of fixing a problem.
We have to have a secure border and we have to have a comprehensive pathway for citizenship.
COOPER: Let me...
HARRIS: And that includes requiring people, hardworking people, to earn citizenship and do it in a comprehensive, humane and orderly manner.
COOPER: Let me ask you about that.
You're talking about the bill that Donald Trump quashed in 2024. You talked about the bill he tried to get passed in 2021. That wasn't able to get passed. 2022, 2023, there were record border crossings. Your administration took a number, hundreds of executive actions. It didn't stem the flow. The numbers kept going up.
Finally, in 2024, just in June, three weeks before the last -- the first presidential debate with Joe Biden, you instituted executive actions that had a dramatic impact, really shut down people crossing over. Why didn't your administration do that in 2022, 2023?
HARRIS: First of all, you're exactly right, Anderson. And, as of today, we have cut the flow of immigration by over half. In fact, the numbers I saw most recently...
COOPER: Yes.
HARRIS: ... illegal immigration is lower...
COOPER: But if it was that easy with that executive action, why not do it in 2022, 2023?
HARRIS: Well, hold on. Let me finish -- let me -- well, because we were working with Congress and hoping that actually we could have a long-term fix to the problem, instead of a short-term fix.
COOPER: You couldn't have done one and both at the same time?
HARRIS: Well, here's the thing.
We have to understand that, ultimately, this problem is going to be fixed through congressional action. Congress has the authority and the purse. I hate to use D.C. terms, but, literally, they write the checks. Part of the issue is, in order to really fix the problem at the border -- I was just at the border recently talking with border agents.
You know what they talk about? Yes, they are overwhelmed. They're working around the clock. And the other thing that they talked to me about, we need more judges down there to deal with asylum claims. We need more personnel down there to deal with processing.
But, Anderson, and that's where Congress kicks, in terms of dedicating the resources to actually fixing the problem. We have dealt with it such that, to your point, we now, as of today, as of our visit, have lower undocumented immigrants and illegal immigration than Trump when he left office.
COOPER: That's true.
HARRIS: But we need a permanent solution.
COOPER: Do you wish you had done that...
HARRIS: And that requires bipartisan work.
COOPER: Do you wish you had done those executive orders in 2022, 2023?
HARRIS: I think we did the right thing.
And -- but the best thing that can happen for the American people is that we have bipartisan work happening. And I pledge to you that I will work across the aisle to fix this longstanding problem. I think the American people are demanding it on both sides of the aisle.
COOPER: Yes.
HARRIS: And it's time we actually put the partisan approach to this aside. We know what can work.
COOPER: Well, let's talk about this compromise bill you -- that you want to pass if you're elected. You said that's going to be a priority.
It includes $650 million in funding for the border wall. That's something Republicans wanted. That was part of the compromise. Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times. You called it stupid, useless, and a medieval vanity project.
Is a border wall stupid?
HARRIS: Well, let's talk about Donald Trump and that border wall.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: So, remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it? Come on. They didn't. How much of that wall did he build? I think the last number I saw was about 2 percent.
And then when it came time for him to do a photo-op, you know where he did it? In the part of the wall that President Obama built. So, come on.
COOPER: But you're agreeing to a bill that would earmark $650 million to continue building that wall.
HARRIS: We -- I pledge that I am going to bring forward that bipartisan bill to further strengthen and secure our border. Yes, I am. And I'm going to work across the aisle to pass a comprehensive bill that deals with a broken immigration system.
[21:30:00]
I think Jackson's question, part of it was to acknowledge that America has always had migration, but there needs to be a legal process for it. People have to earn it. And that's the point that I think is the most important point that can be made, which is we need a president who is grounded in common sense and practical outcomes. Like let's just fix this thing. Let's just fix it. Why is there any ideological perspective on it? Let's just fix the problem.
COOPER: To fix the problem, you're doing this compromise bill. It does call for $650 million that was earmarked under Trump to actually still go to build the wall.
HARRIS: I'm not afraid of good ideas where they occur, Anderson.
COOPER: You heard me say, you don't think it's stupid anymore?
HARRIS: I think what he did and how he did it did -- was did not make much sense because he actually didn't do much of anything. I just talked about that wall, right? We just talked about it. He didn't actually do much of anything.
COOPER: But you do want to build some wall?
HARRIS: I want to strengthen our border.
COOPER: This is Annalise Kean. She's from Philadelphia. She works as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. She's registered with no party affiliation. She says she's a Democrat. She's leaning toward voting for you, but says she's yet to make her final decision in part because of the conflict in the Middle East.
Annalise?
ANNALISE KEAN, FUNDRAISER FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Thank you. And good evening, Madam Vice President.
HARRIS: Good evening.
KEAN: My question is, as president, what would you do to ensure not another Palestinian dies due to bombs being funded by U.S. tax dollars?
HARRIS: So I will say, and I think this is to your point, far too many innocent Palestinian civilians have been killed. It's unconscionable. And we are now at a place where with Sinwar's death, I do believe we have an opportunity to end this war, bring the hostages home, bring relief to the Palestinian people, and work toward a two-state solution where Israel and the Palestinians in equal measure have security, where the Palestinian people have dignity, self-determination, and the safety that they so rightly deserve.
COOPER: What do you say to voters who are thinking about supporting a third-party candidate or staying on the couch, not voting at all because of this issue?
HARRIS: Listen, I am not going to deny the strong feelings that people have. I don't know that anyone who has seen the images who would not have strong feelings about what has happened, much less those who have relatives who have died and been killed. And I know people and I've talked with people.
So I appreciate that. But I also do know that for many people who care about this issue, they also care about bringing down the price of groceries. They also care about our democracy and not having a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist.
They also care about the fact that we need practical, common-sense solutions from a leader who is willing to work across the aisle on behalf of the American people and not themselves. They want a president who cares about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body, understanding that we're not trying to change anyone's belief, but let's not have the government telling women what to do with their body.
COOPER: I want you to meet Beth Samberg. She's a realtor, a mom of four from Bellwood, Pennsylvania. She's a registered Democrat, says she's undecided because of concerns about anti-Semitism.
Beth.
BETH SAMBERG: Hi. Thank you for being here.
HARRIS: Thank you, Beth.
SAMBERG: Thank you for remembering, we need to bring the hostages home.
HARRIS: Of course.
SAMBERG: The rise of anti-Semitism and violence from -- the rise of anti-Semitism and violence from anti-Semitism has risen greatly on college campuses and on our city streets in the last year. How would you combat this growing trend and protect our young adults?
HARRIS: Thank you, Beth. You are right. And I will say that we have seen a rise in anti-Semitism. It is something that we have to be honest about and we have to deal with. As attorney general, I actually published a hate crimes report, on a regular basis and anti-Semitism was among the highest forms of hate in our country. And this was before October 7. And we know what we've seen since.
Part of what we've got to do is talk with people so that they understand what are the tropes, what are the roots of -- of what we are seeing, so that we can actually have people be more understanding. We need to have laws in place that make those who would commit crimes on behalf of anti-Semitism and hate that they pay a serious consequence. We need to have the deterrence so that doesn't happen. We need to ensure that college students are safe in their school and feel safe to be able to go to class.
But I'm going to tell you what doesn't help. Again, I invite you to listen and go online to listen to John Kelly, the former chief of staff of Donald Trump, who has told us Donald Trump said, why -- essentially, "Why aren't my generals like those of Hitler's, like Hitler," who has referred, several times -- we've heard the reports for years.
[21:35:27]
COOPER: Do you believe Donald Trump is Antisemitic?
HARRIS: I believe Donald Trump is a danger to the well-being and security of America.
COOPER: He has said that he -- he's casting himself as a protector of Israel. Do you believe you would be more pro-Israel than Donald Trump?
HARRIS: I believe that Donald Trump is dangerous. I believe that, when you have a president of the United States who has said to his generals, who work for him because he is commander in chief -- these conversations, I assume many of them took place in the Oval Office.
And if the president of the United States, the commander in chief, is saying to his generals, in essence, "Why can't you be more like Hitler's generals?" Anderson, come on. This is a serious, serious issue. And we know who he is. He admires dictators, sending love letters back and forth with Kim Jong-un; talks about the president of Russia, and then, most recently, the reports are that, in the height of COVID, when most Americans could not get their hands on a COVID test, Americans were dying by the hundreds a day, he secretly sent COVID tests to the president of Russia for his personal use.
So, again, there -- this -- this election in 13 days is presenting the American people with a very significant decision. And on the one side, on this issue of who is going to model what it means to use the bully pulpit of the president of the United States in a manner that, in tone, word and deed, is about lifting up our discourse, fighting against hate, as opposed to fanning the flames of hate, which Donald Trump does consistently.
I -- I'm going to tell you. We are an incredible country, and we love our country. You all wouldn't be here unless we love our country. And there are certain things where we've just got to come together and realize that -- that -- that we do believe in the importance of healthy debate on real issues, but there are certain standards we've got to have.
And, you know, another point that even John Kelly talked about, I believe, and many have, is January 6th, where you have the president of the United States defying the will of the people in a free and fair election and unleashing a violent mob, who attacked the United States Capitol. One hundred forty law enforcement officers were attacked. Some were killed.
And so I -- I say that to say the American people deserve to have a president who encourages healthy debate, works across the aisle, not afraid of good ideas wherever they come from, but also maintains certain standards about how we think about the role and the responsibility, and certainly not comparing oneself in a clearly admiring way to Hitler.
COOPER: We're going to take a quick break. We'll have more from the CNN town hall with Vice President Kamala Harris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:43:05]
COOPER: And we're back with Vice President Kamala Harris.
I want to ask you about something I read. I read that the fir -- one of the first phone calls you made after President Biden announced that he was dropping out was to your pastor. And I'm wondering if it wasn't a confessional, if you could say what that conversation was like.
HARRIS: Well, my pastor, Reverend Dr. Amos C. Brown of Third Baptist Church.
It was -- it was an extraordinary day that Sunday when the president called me, and I -- I instinctively understood the gravity of the moment, the seriousness of the moment.
I didn't predict or know exactly how that day would play out, and obviously now, it's been three months since I've been at the top of the ticket, actually three months as of yesterday. But I just called him -- I needed that spiritual kind of connection, I needed that advice, I needed a prayer.
And -- and there's a -- there's a part of the Scripture that talks about Esther and a time such as this, and -- and that's what we talked about. And it was very comforting for me and --
COOPER: Do you pray every day?
HARRIS: I do pray every day. I do pray every day, sometimes twice a day.
COOPER: Yeah.
HARRIS: I -- you know, my -- I grew up -- so we grew up -- a little neighborhood church in Oakland, 23rd Avenue Church of God.
And I was raised to believe in a loving God, to believe that your faith is a verb, you know? You -- you live your faith and -- and that -- that the way that one should do that is that your work and your life's work should be to think about how you can serve in a way that is uplifting other people.
[21:45:08]
That is about caring for other people. And that guides a lot of how I think about my work and -- and what is important.
COOPER: Let's go to the voters. I want you to meet Joe Donahue from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
HARRIS: Joe.
COOPER: He works in customer service for a local retailer. He serves as a local election official. He's a registered Republican who says he's undecided. He doesn't agree with your stance on abortion, but he is concerned about what he calls Trump's demeanor and actions on January 6th.
Joe?
HARRIS: Hi, Joe.
JOE DONAHUE, CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKER & LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIAL: Thank you, Madam Vice President.
And thank you, Anderson.
Madam Vice President, everybody as human beings, we are not perfect. We have our flaws. We make mistakes. We have our weaknesses. And the office of the presidency can sometimes bring those weaknesses out in ways that the incumbent may not expect. What weaknesses do you bring to the table and how do you plan to overcome them while you're in office?
HARRIS: That's a great question, Joe.
Well, I am certainly not perfect, so let's start there. And I think that I -- perhaps a weakness, some would say, but I actually think it's a strength is I really do value having a team of very smart people around me who bring to my decision-making process different perspectives. I -- my team will tell you I am constantly saying, let's kick the tire on that. Let's kick the tires on it. Because, listen, I -- as I mentioned earlier, I started my career as a prosecutor. I was a courtroom prosecutor.
I've tried everything from low level offenses to homicides. And I learned at a very early stage of my career and adult life that my actions have a direct impact on real people in a very fundamental way. When I was attorney general of California, I was attorney general of what is the fifth-largest economy in the world, and acutely aware that my words could move markets. So I take my role and responsibility as an elected leader very seriously. And I know the impact it has on so many people I may never meet.
And that is why I engage and bring folks around. So I may not be quick to have the answer as soon as you ask it about a specific policy issue sometimes because I'm going to want to research it. I'm going to want to study it. I'm kind of a nerd sometimes, I confess. And some might call that a weakness, especially if you're, you know, in an interview or just kind of, you know, being asked a certain question and you're just expected to have the right answer right away. But that's how I -- that's how I work.
COOPER: We -- I don't think I've ever heard the former president admit a mistake. A lot of politicians don't. Is there something you can point to in your life, political life or in your life, in the last four years that you think is a mistake that you have learned from?
HARRIS: I mean, I've -- I've made many mistakes. And they range from, you know, if you've ever parented a child you know you make lots of mistakes to, in my role as vice president? I mean, I've probably worked very hard at making sure that I am well-versed on issues and I think that is very important. It's a mistake not to be well-versed on an issue and feel compelled to answer a question.
COOPER: I want you to meet Pam Thistle. She's from Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. She's a realtor. She's a widow. Her husband, Mike, died just a year ago. She has two daughters in college.
HARRIS: I'm sorry.
COOPER: She registered with no party affiliation and says she's undecided. She has concerns about how you would handle the economy.
Pam?
PAM THISTLE, REALTOR: Thank you. And thank you, Anderson.
And happy belated birthday too.
HARRIS: Thank you. Thank you very much.
THISTLE: I really...
HARRIS: I'm sorry for your loss.
THISTLE: Oh, thank you. Yes. And I'm really appreciative for you to be here and get to know you. When you talk about rich people paying their fair share, can you be more specific? Income taxes are already on a graduated scale where the more you make, the higher percentage you pay in taxes. So the rich are paying a disproportionate amount in taxes as it is. Over 40 percent of Americans don't pay any income taxes. Also, the really high-earners may move their money offshore if there are disincentive -- disincentives in the U.S., this could impact the economy. I would like to hear more nuts and bolts about your economic plans.
HARRIS: Sure. Thank you, Pam.
So, first of all, it is the case in the United States of America that billionaires on average pay less taxes as a percentage than teachers and firefighters and nurses. And that...
THISTLE: Yeah, I'm talking about hard workers like -- like, pound the street, have some success.
[21:50:06]
HARRIS: Yes. No, no, no, I understand.
THISTLE: Yes.
HARRIS: But I want to just -- let's set the -- let...
THISTLE: Not the really high...
HARRIS: Let's set the scene, right?
THISTLE: Yes.
HARRIS: So, when I say that the richest among us need to pay their fair share...
THISTLE: OK.
HARRIS: ... I am referencing that, and I -- I need to reference that because, sadly, Donald Trump when he was president gave tax cuts to the richest, to billionaires in big corporations, which added trillions of dollars to our deficit.
So that, sadly, needs to be said in a way that should be obvious to your point, but is not given what he did.
Now, in terms of what we need to do to bring down taxes, I have pledged and have a plan for a middle-class tax cut that would affect 100 million Americans, including, for example, what we will do around small businesses, in terms of tax deductions, in terms of what small businesses are now being mired in terms of a bureaucracy around they have to fill out and do their taxes in a way that actually holds them back.
Part of my plan includes extending a middle-class tax cut that would include a $6,000 tax cut, essentially a child tax credit, for parents, and young parents, in particular, knowing that the vast majority of our parents have a natural desire to parent their children well, but not always the resources.
So this is going to include an extra amount of just money that people can use to pay for childcare, which is far too expensive for too many working families. And part of the issue here is this. We cannot and I will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year.
But we do need to take seriously the system that benefits the richest and does not help out working middle-class Americans. I come from the middle class, and I believe that the middle class needs tax breaks to be able to actually not just get by, but get ahead.
COOPER: So you're saying -- well, what you're saying is anyone under $400,000 won't have taxes raised. Are you saying that anyone above $400,000 will have a tax raise?
HARRIS: I'm saying that there is going to be a parity around what the richest people pay in terms of their taxes.
Right now, Anderson, you know the documented -- it is well-documented that some of the richest people in our country have gotten away with a zero tax rate.
COOPER: But if you're earning $500,000, $600,000, $700,000, under your plan, there's a good chance your taxes go up?
HARRIS: It's -- we can't have this conversation without knowing what -- it's a very complicated situation, right? If you're talking about a small business owner, I'm going to bring down, cut taxes for small businesses, right?
Because I know that they need the overhead, the money that they need for overhead to actually benefit the growth of their business, which benefits our economy as a whole.
COOPER: Let's go to -- actually, let -- you know, I want to reference something that -- about Pam. Pam mentioned her husband, Steve, died a year ago.
You have talked about your mom, Shyamala Harris, who died 15 years ago. What has grief been like for you? Do you still grieve?
HARRIS: Yes, you don't stop grieving. You don't stop grieving.
I mean, the -- I -- I think that there is -- there are like two sides to a coin when you have lost somebody you love, and -- or that two sides to a coin, that phrase becomes evident, which is, if you have had the blessing of a close and important relationship with someone, then, when you have -- that the other side of the coin is that, when you lose them, the grief becomes even deeper.
But I also believe that, for example, anyone who has lost a family member through cancer or an illness -- my mother died from cancer -- it is important to try and remember them as they lived, and not as they died, because the grief can really weigh you down.
I think the brain has a way of, when you're grieving, really spiraling down. And it's important, I think, to try and remember those you have lost in a way they'd want to be remembered, as being vibrant. And I think it's important to just -- to grieve as one does. I don't think there's any correct or proper way to grieve.
And the most important thing is, I think, that people do not suppress what they're feeling at any moment. And the rest of us should give them grace to go through it as they will.
COOPER: We're going to take a short break.
We will be right back with more from the CNN presidential town hall with Vice President Kamala Harris.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:58:43] COOPER: And we are back with Vice President Kamala Harris.
I want to meet Rob MacPherson. He's the chief marketing officer for a local organization. He's registered Republican from Media, Pennsylvania, who told us he's leaning towards voting for you, but has concerns about what he calls shifts in your policy positions.
Rob.
ROB MACPHERSON, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Thank you. Thank you for being here Vice President Harris. So, welcome to Delco.
HARRIS: Thank you.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: Thanks.
MACPHERSON: Here in Delco, we pride ourselves on being authentic.
HARRIS: Yes.
MACPHERSON: And much of we have seen -- by saying -- have seen -- much of what you have been saying with regard to issues like law and order and fracking reflect a more centrist view than what people are used to hearing from Kamala Harris, leaving some voters to wonder about the authenticity of your current, more moderate positions.
Can you talk a little bit about how your positions have shifted and why?
HARRIS: Sure. And thank you.
So, first of all, on fracking, I have been very clear. We kind of dispensed with this in 2020. I am not going to ban fracking. I did not as vice president. In fact, as vice president, I cast the tiebreaking vote that now has opened up more fracking leases.
My value on the issue of what we need to do to invest in a clean energy economy and a clean energy future has not changed. But, frankly, I now have the experience and perspective of having been vice president for almost four years. I have traveled the country.
[22:00:06]
