Over and over, Vice President Kamala Harris argued at a CNN town hall Wednesday night that Republican rival Donald Trump is “unstable” and “unfit to serve.”
The Democratic nominee’s message in the closing weeks 2024 presidential race is squarely focused on warning Americans — particularly undecided independents and moderate Republicans — that Trump poses a threat to the nation’s core principles.
Here are some key takeaways:
Yes, Harris thinks Trump is a fascist: Harris was asked Wednesday night if she considers Trump a fascist.
Harris pointed to senior military leaders who served under Trump and have said the former president is a fascist — including the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and Trump’s former White House chief of staff, retired Marine general John Kelly
Harris promises “a new generation of leadership”: Harris has faced repeated questions on the trail over how — and to what degree — she would break from President Joe Biden on policy. Mostly, she has brushed them off.
On Wednesday night, though, Harris seemed more comfortable with the proposition and argued that, if she was elected, change would follow.
After ticking off a few major policy plans, like having Medicare cover home health care for the elderly, Harris returned to what she described as “a new approach.”
Border security and migration a tricky area: By both CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and audience members, the vice president was pressed on border security.
She was asked on the record number of illegal border crossings that occurred during the Biden administration in spite of multiple executive orders. That flow had only begun to shrink after a major executive action earlier this year, Cooper noted, and asked why Biden and Harris hadn’t done something sooner.
Harris argued that the Biden administration, and she personally, believed that executive actions were just short-term solutions and that a long-term fix could only happen through a bipartisan agreement in Congress. She stressed the need for a large bipartisan bill on border security.
Read more key takeaways from the town hall.
