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Harris Gives Confusing Response to ‘Day One In Office’ Question From CNN

By ELECTION 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris delivered another of her signature “word salads” when asked about her first actions as president if elected in November. In her first interview since becoming the de-facto Democratic nominee nearly 40 days ago, Harris spoke with CNN, a left-leaning outlet. The interview was notable not only because it was pre-taped but also because Harris was accompanied by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Anchor Dana Bash led the interview by asking Harris what she planned to do on her first day in office should she manage to defeat former President Donald Trump. “Well, there are a number of things. I will tell you first and foremost, one of my highest priorities is to do what we can to support and strengthen the middle class. When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I think that people are ready for a new way forward, in a way that generations of Americans have been fueled by hope and by optimism,” she replied without providing any details.



“I think sadly, in the last decade we have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans, really dividing our nation, and I think people are ready to turn the page on that,” Harris continued. Bash eventually had to ask Harris again what her plans would be on her first day in office. Harris responded with a list of policy goals, many of which would require congressional approval.

“Day one, it’s going to be about, one, implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re going to do to invest in families, for example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life,” Harris said.

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Earlier this week saw Harris unveiling her most comprehensive proposal yet—a staggering $5 trillion in tax increases over the next decade, a plan that faced immediate and intense criticism. The proposal aligns with President Joe Biden’s budget released earlier this year and aims to generate hundreds of billions in new government revenue by taxing everything from corporate profits to unrealized capital gains. However, CNBC’s co-hosts made it clear that the proposal is an economic killer. During a Wednesday segment, hosts Becky Quick and Joe Kernan sharply criticized Harris’s economic advisor, Bharat Ramamurti, calling the idea of taxing unrealized gains, especially, “nothing short of lunacy.”

“Unrealized gains, taxing unrealized gains just doesn’t seem fair in any sense of the word,” Quick fired off during the exchange. “In the very best sense, if you are taxing unrealized gains, all you’re doing is pulling forward the taxes that would be paid later when someone actually sells the stock.” Ramamurti’s response was a tone-deaf analogy that fell flat. “I think this reaction to unrealized gains is a little funny,” he said. “The majority of people watching right now are already paying a tax on unrealized gains. It’s called a property tax. When the value of your home goes up, you pay higher taxes even if you don’t sell your home.”

Quick, however, fired back, “The value of your home never moves the way a stock moves, the way something else moves.” Ramamurti then tried to justify the tax to fund essential services, claiming it would “create more opportunities” and ensure “every newborn in this country gets $6,000.” But the co-hosts weren’t buying it, and Kernan summed up the proposal this way: “It’s probably unconstitutional, and it was never in anyone’s intent to do.” He added: “And it’s never going to happen. Not in my life. Not in Becky’s life.”

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Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.