Oct 8, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Harris: "Not a thing" she'd have done differently than Biden

Erin Doherty

US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is pictured in studio at ABC during a break during the recording of the show "The View" in New York on October 8, 2024. — Vice President Kamala Harris in studio at ABC during a break during the recording of the show "The View" in New York on Oct. 8. Photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Harris said during an interview with ABC News' "The View" on Tuesday that "there is not a thing that comes to mind" when asked whether she would've done anything differently than President Biden.

Why it matters: Voters largely disapprove of Biden's handling of issues like inflation, but Harris has benefited from the fact that they don't tend to blame her. Rather than distance herself, though, she has mostly embraced Biden's policies as she runs for the White House.

"I've been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact," Harris said on "The View."
Later in the interview, she said that one of the differences between her and a Biden administration would be having a Republican in the cabinet, a pledge that she has made before on the campaign trail.

Zoom in: When she was asked how a Harris presidency would be different from a Biden presidency, she said: "We're obviously two different people and we have a lot of shared life experiences ... but we're also different people and I will bring those sensibilities to how I lead."

Harris has introduced policies that diverge from Biden's on issues like housing costs and price gouging — though Republicans inevitably ask why she didn't push for them in four years as VP.

The big picture: Harris also criticized former President Trump over his false claims that the Biden administration has used Federal Emergency Management Agency funds to house illegal immigrants.

"I fear that he really lacks empathy on a very basic level, to care about the suffering of other people and then understand the role of a leader is not to beat people down, it's to lift people up," Harris said of her GOP rival.

State of play: Harris this week is participating in a media blitz, after she and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) faced criticism over their relatively low number of public appearances compared to past presidential tickets.

Harris sat for an interview with CBS News' "60 Minutes" that aired on Monday.

Go deeper: Harris to propose new Medicare benefit for senior care

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Harris: "Not a thing" she'd have done differently than Biden

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