US Vice-President Kamala Harris has defended changing her mind on key issues in her first interview since entering the presidential race.
The Democratic nominee was pressed on why her policies on immigration and climate have become more moderate since she ran for president in 2019.
“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” she told CNN’s Dana Bash.
She also vowed to “turn the page” on the divisive rhetoric of the Trump era, in the joint interview with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Her Republican opponent Donald Trump described the interview as “BORING!!!” on Truth Social when it concluded, and described Ms Harris as a fraud.
The vice-president was forced to defend the White House’s economic track record, as inflation and high cost-of-living prices continue to hurt Americans.
When asked why she hadn’t already implemented her ideas to tackle economic hardship she said they had done a lot of good work already but there was more to do.
Polls suggest that voters would prefer Trump’s handling of the economy.
Here are the key takeaways from the interview.
Harris defends shifts on fracking, climate and border
Pressed on her move from liberal to more moderate policy positions, she said her values were consistent, pointing to her commitment to tackling climate change as an example.
Asked about her reversal on banning fracking, a technique for recovering gas and oil from shale rock, she said she was confident US climate targets could be met without a ban.
The main Republican line of attack has been to cast Ms Harris as an extremist, pointing to her 2019 statements as evidence.
Back then, she also advocated for the closure of immigration detention centres and the decriminalisation of illegal crossings.
She takes a stronger line on the border now, referring to her time “prosecuting transnational, criminal organisations” as California attorney general.
Earlier this year, she supported a bipartisan border security bill that would have included hundreds of millions of dollars for more wall construction.
Trump pressured Republicans in Congress to kill the deal, which Ms Harris said in the CNN interview was a cynical political move.
