WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris headed to a Philadelphia suburb Wednesday night for a CNN town hall, where she fielded questions from undecided voters. The event was organized after Donald Trump refused to participate in a second debate with her.
With less than two weeks to go until the election, here are some key moments from the town hall.
Harris says Trump is a fascist
She left no doubt that she believes her opponent can be characterized by the far-right authoritarian ideology.
When asked by CNN's Anderson Cooper if she thinks Trump is a fascist, Harris responded bluntly.
“Yes, I do,” she said. “Yes, I do.”
Her response came shortly after John Kelly, Trump's former chief of staff, used the same term to describe the Republican nominee.
Harris' comments were a bolder version of an answer she gave during an interview last week.
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God called Trump's vision for the country fascism and asked, “Why can't we just say it?”
“Yes, we can say that,” Harris said.
Harris expands her rift with Biden
Since she was catapulted to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president has grappled with questions about how she is different from President Joe Biden. Harris is reluctant to distance himself from him, even as voters appear eager for a change in direction.
However, Biden recently gave her a rhetorical green light to break with him even more, saying she would “forge her own path” if elected.
Harris appears to have embraced the opportunity for now. She repeatedly said Wednesday night that she would bring “a new approach” to the administration when it comes to caring for the elderly and reducing consumer costs.
“I'm not going to shy away from saying, hey, these are still problems that we need to solve,” Harris said.
Harris talks about her personal faith
The vice president doesn't normally talk about her religion, but she revealed more during the town hall.
Cooper asked Harris to think about the day Biden dropped his re-election bid and endorsed her, especially a phone call she had with her pastor.
“I needed that advice,” she said of her conversation with Rev. Dr. Amos Brown in San Francisco. “I needed a prayer.”
She also said, “I pray every day, sometimes twice a day.”
Harris said she grew up knowing that “your faith is a verb,” meaning it is important to put beliefs into action to help others.
Harris' background and personal life include a mix of religions. She previously talked about attending services at a Baptist church and a Hindu temple while growing up in California. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish.
Harris was asked about her weaknesses
Candidates spend a lot of time talking about their strengths, so one voter asked Harris about her weaknesses.
“I'm certainly not perfect, so let's start there,” she said, laughing.
Harris said she surrounds herself with “very smart people” who she pushes for answers on complicated topics.
“I keep saying, 'Let's kick this ass,'” she said. Harris said she is being careful because “my actions directly impact real people in a very fundamental way.”
It sounded like a classic dodge for politicians, like when a candidate says his biggest weakness is that he cares too much. But her response hinted at real criticism she has faced over the years.
Sometimes Harris is known to prepare herself to the point of paralysis, and sometimes she is unwilling to take risks.
