Written by Nandita Bose, Stephanie Kelly
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris lashed out in a televised interview on Wednesday about the Biden administration's efforts to deal with the increase in illegal immigration at the southern border, and blamed Republicans for failing to cross the border. bill.
In an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier, Harris was asked to defend the administration's initial decision to roll back some of the policies blocking Republican rival Donald Trump, and to respond to a mother who testified to Congress about the loss of her child at his hands. an illegal immigrant.
“I'm very sorry for his loss, but let's talk about what's going on right now,” Harris said.
Harris said Trump told Republicans to reject the dual immigration bill because he “would rather deal with the problem than fix the problem.”
The interview was part of Harris' appeal to Republican voters in this year's US presidential election, as he highlighted Republican support for his campaign in the battleground state of Pennsylvania before appearing on Fox News.
When Harris was asked in a Fox News interview about his recent comments that he would change “nothing” about the actions of the Biden administration, he replied: “Let me be clear, my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden. presidency,” but did not elaborate.
Earlier, in Bucks County, outside Philadelphia, Harris emphasized Trump's attempt to erase his election loss four years ago, when he lost the White House to current President Joe Biden.
Harris said Trump's actions violate the US Constitution and, if given the chance, he would violate it again.
“He refused to accept the will of the people and the results of a free and fair election. He sent a mob, an armed mob, to the United States Capitol, where they violently attacked police, law enforcement officials and threatened the life of his vice president,” Harris said.
More than 100 Republicans joined Harris in Bucks County, including Adam Kinzinger, a former congressman and member of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 in the US Capitol by supporters of then President Trump.
“No matter who your party voted for, or who you voted for last time, there is a place for you in this campaign,” said Harris.
Harris led Republican candidate Trump 46% to 43% in the latest Reuters poll.
Trump on Wednesday will participate in a town hall hosted by Univision.
And Fox News aired a separate Trump town hall with an all-female audience.
Harris has tried to court voters disillusioned by Trump. Earlier this month, former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, urged voters to put country over party and vote for Harris, saying Trump is unfit to lead America.
He reiterated on Wednesday his promise to appoint a Republican to his cabinet, if elected.
Harris' speech took place near where George Washington and thousands of American soldiers crossed the Delaware River, preparing for a Revolutionary War victory over British troops, and came as local voting began Tuesday.
Biden beat Trump in Bucks County by about 17,000 votes in the 2020 election, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beat Trump in the 2016 election by less than 3,000 votes, according to county data.
This summer, Republicans surpassed Democrats in voter registration numbers for the first time in a generation. Republicans currently have more than 3,500 more voters in the district than Democrats, according to the latest data.
He's considering joining host Joe Rogan, whose show reaches millions of men across the political spectrum, and who has joked that the “animated boss” was behind Harris' strong anti-Trump debate.
