Kamala Harris addresses policy changes, claims her values have not changed since becoming VP

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday rejected accusations that she has flip-flopped on some policy stances since she last ran for office, stating that her values have remained the same.

Harris has been accused of flipping her stance on issues like fracking, and climate change, while also shying away from tougher topics like immigration. 

“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris told CNN's Dana Bash in her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee. “You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed – and I have worked on it – that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time.”

The vice president also told CNN that her prosecution of gang members accused of border trafficking as California Attorney General proved that immigration was always important to her.

“My values have not changed. So that is the reality of it," she repeated.

Harris said she was also focused on uniting the country, which means serving as a commander-in-chief of all Americans, even those she does not politically agree with. She would even appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected in November. 

"I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion," the presidential hopeful said. "I think it’s important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences. And I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my Cabinet who was a Republican.”

Harris did not indicate what Republican she would consider appointing to her cabinet. 

A full interview with Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will air on CNN at 9 p.m. Eastern. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.