NBC’s Hallie Jackson to Kamala Harris: ‘Is the Country Ready for Woman of Color To Be President?’

Jackson Let me ask ░░░░░░░░ about something that you ░░░░░░░░ when you were running ░░░░░░░░ president the last time ░░░░░░░░ back in 2019 At ░░░░░░░░ time you said that ░░░░░░░░ elephant in the room ░░░░░░░░ whether the country was ░░░░░░░░ for a woman and ░░░░░░░░ woman of color to ░░░░░░░░ president So let me ░░░░░░░░ you as you sit ░░░░░░░░ today do you think ░░░░░░░░ country is ready now ░░░░░░░░ a woman and a ░░░░░░░░ of color to be ░░░░░░░░ Harris Absolutely absolutely And ░░░░░░░░ am seeing that in ░░░░░░░░ of every walk of ░░░░░░░░ of our country You ░░░░░░░░ I think part of ░░░░░░░░ is important in this ░░░░░░░░ is really not only ░░░░░░░░ the page but closing ░░░░░░░░ page and the chapter ░░░░░░░░ an era that suggests ░░░░░░░░ Americans are divided What ░░░░░░░░ know from personal experience ░░░░░░░░ lived experience and from ░░░░░░░░ travels even most recently ░░░░░░░░ vast majority of us ░░░░░░░░ so much more in ░░░░░░░░ than what separates us ░░░░░░░░ what the American people ░░░░░░░░ in their president is ░░░░░░░░ president for all Americans ░░░░░░░░ is the type and ░░░░░░░░ of president I pledge ░░░░░░░░ be This is my ░░░░░░░░ s work As you ░░░░░░░░ I started as a ░░░░░░░░ I never asked a ░░░░░░░░ of crime a witness ░░░░░░░░ crime are you a ░░░░░░░░ or Democrat The only ░░░░░░░░ I ever asked them ░░░░░░░░ are you OK And ░░░░░░░░ s what the American ░░░░░░░░ want to know regardless ░░░░░░░░ their race regardless of ░░░░░░░░ gender or their age ░░░░░░░░ want to know that ░░░░░░░░ have a president who ░░░░░░░░ them and understands their ░░░░░░░░ and focuses on their ░░░░░░░░ understanding we all deserve ░░░░░░░░ have a president who ░░░░░░░░ focused on solutions and ░░░░░░░░ just fanning the flames ░░░░░░░░ division and hate Jackson ░░░░░░░░ ve been reluctant to ░░░░░░░░ into to talk about ░░░░░░░░ historic nature of your ░░░░░░░░ on the campaign trail ░░░░░░░░ is that Harris Well ░░░░░░░░ m clearly a woman ░░░░░░░░ I don t need ░░░░░░░░ point that out to ░░░░░░░░ The point that most ░░░░░░░░ really care about is ░░░░░░░░ you do the job ░░░░░░░░ do you have a ░░░░░░░░ to actually focus on ░░░░░░░░ Jackson I hear you ░░░░░░░░ that crosstalk Harris That ░░░░░░░░ that is why I ░░░░░░░░ the majority of my ░░░░░░░░ listening and then addressing ░░░░░░░░ concerns the challenges the ░░░░░░░░ the ambitions and aspirations ░░░░░░░░ the American people They ░░░░░░░░ to have a president ░░░░░░░░ s focused on them ░░░░░░░░ opposed to a Donald ░░░░░░░░ who s constantly focused ░░░░░░░░ himself I think that ░░░░░░░░ part of why people ░░░░░░░░ exhausted with Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ his approach because it ░░░░░░░░ all about himself and ░░░░░░░░ personal grievances and not ░░░░░░░░ the American people not ░░░░░░░░ how are you going ░░░░░░░░ help families how are ░░░░░░░░ going to help small ░░░░░░░░ how are you going ░░░░░░░░ strengthen our economy These ░░░░░░░░ the things I m ░░░░░░░░ on I m focused ░░░░░░░░ investing in the new ░░░░░░░░ on which America should ░░░░░░░░ and be a global ░░░░░░░░ Jackson I ask because ░░░░░░░░ implement the agenda that ░░░░░░░░ want to implement you ░░░░░░░░ to win first You ░░░░░░░░ to win the White ░░░░░░░░ crosstalk Harris Of course ░░░░░░░░ course Jackson And right ░░░░░░░░ there is a big ░░░░░░░░ gap in this race ░░░░░░░░ men support you right ░░░░░░░░ than they did President ░░░░░░░░ Some of your allies ░░░░░░░░ suggested there s sexism ░░░░░░░░ play I wonder do ░░░░░░░░ think there is sexism ░░░░░░░░ play here Harris Let ░░░░░░░░ just tell you something ░░░░░░░░ ve come to my ░░░░░░░░ and you will see ░░░░░░░░ are men and women ░░░░░░░░ those events whether it ░░░░░░░░ small events or events ░░░░░░░░ 10 000 people So ░░░░░░░░ experience that I am ░░░░░░░░ is one in which ░░░░░░░░ is clear that regardless ░░░░░░░░ someone s gender they ░░░░░░░░ to know that their ░░░░░░░░ has a plan to ░░░░░░░░ costs that their president ░░░░░░░░ a plan to secure ░░░░░░░░ in the context of ░░░░░░░░ position around the world ░░░░░░░░ want a president of ░░░░░░░░ United States who honors ░░░░░░░░ military who understands the ░░░░░░░░ of America s leadership ░░░░░░░░ international rules and norms ░░░░░░░░ that is regardless of ░░░░░░░░ crosstalk Jackson So is ░░░░░░░░ a no crosstalk Harris ░░░░░░░░ that s how I ░░░░░░░░ lead Jackson Do you ░░░░░░░░ see sexism as a ░░░░░░░░ in this race at ░░░░░░░░ Harris I don t ░░░░░░░░ of it that way ░░░░░░░░ challenge is the challenge ░░░░░░░░ making sure I can ░░░░░░░░ with and listen to ░░░░░░░░ many voters as possible ░░░░░░░░ earn their vote And ░░░░░░░░ will never assume that ░░░░░░░░ in our country should ░░░░░░░░ a leader based on ░░░░░░░░ gender or their race ░░░░░░░░ that that leader needs ░░░░░░░░ earn the vote based ░░░░░░░░ substance and what they ░░░░░░░░ do to address challenges ░░░░░░░░ to inspire people to ░░░░░░░░ that their aspirations and ░░░░░░░░ ambitions can and will ░░░░░░░░ achieved through the opportunity ░░░░░░░░ do that.”