How Harris's first major interview sets the stage for debate against Trump

ISN'T GOING TO COWER AND WILL BE STANDING UP TO TRUMP AND HOLDING HIM ACCOUNTABLE. AARON GILCHRIST IS FOLLOWING THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN FROM WASHINGTON. MICHAEL HARDAWAY WORKED FOR HOUSE MINORITY LEADER HAKEEM JEFFRIES AND DICK DURBIN, AND AN MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST. CAN WE TAKE WHAT WE SAW FROM HARRISON IN THE CNN INTERVIEW AND GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW THIS COULD SET THE STAGE FOR THAT DEBATE COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER? >> I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS AS AN INDICATOR OF WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT FROM THAT DEBATE ON SEPTEMBER 10th. I HAD A FORMER ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS HE TOLD THE ME THIS IS A WOMAN WHO IS MASTERFUL WHEN IT COMES TO STAYING ON MESSAGE. I THINK THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAW IN THIS INTERVIEW WEST DIDN'T LEARN A LOT OF NEW INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS WOULD DO WERE SHE TO WIN THE ELECTION BUT WE DID GET TO SEE HOW SHE HANDLES A DIRECT LINE OF QUESTIONING, HOW SHE MIGHT HANDLE A BACK AND FORTHWITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP ON THE DEBATE STAGE. SHE HAS SPENT THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS PREPARING FOR THE DEBATE AND WILL RAMP UP THOSE EFFORTS NEXT WEEK GOING INTO THE WEEKEND AND THE DEBATE THAT WILL BE IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK, AND WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAMPAIGN HAS REALLY BEEN FOCUSING ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO AVOID, HOW THE VICE PRESIDENT CAN AVOID FALLING FOR PERSONAL ATTACKS THEY ANTICIPATE WILL COME FROM THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND RETURNING THOSE ATTACKS. AT THE SAME TIME, YOU SUGGESTED THERE'S AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE SHE IS ABLE TO STAND HER GROUND WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT, THAT SHE'S ABLE TO STAND UP TO HIM, SORT OF ALLOW HIM TO BE A BULLY, IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION HE CHOOSES TO GO INTO. BUT NOT FALLING FOR HIM BEING A BULLY. AND AT THE SAME TIME, AS I SAID, STAYING ON MESSAGE, TALKING ABOUT HER PLANS FOR THE FUTURE, WHAT SHE WILL WANT TO DO FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS, AND ALSO, TRYING TO REMAIN CALM AND FOCUSED ON THAT THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE DEBATE AS OPPOSED TO BEING RATTLED HERSELF, ALLOWING HIM, THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO MAKE WHATEVER STATEMENTS HE MIGHT MAKE AND RATTLING HIM BY NOT TAKING THE BAIT, RYAN. >> INTERESTING STRATEGY. SO SUSAN, WE KNOW THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN HAMMERING HARRIS FOR HER TIES TO THE MORE UNPOPULAR TIME IN OFFICE. BUT SHE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF RUNNING FROM THAT IN THE INTERVIEW LAST NIGHT. LET'S TAKE A LITTLE LISTEN. >> I THINK HISTORY WILL SHOW A NUMBER OF THING ABOUT JOE BIDEN'S PRESIDENCY. I THINK HISTORY WILL SHOW THAT IN SO MANY WAYS, IT WAS TRANSFORMATIVE, BE IT ON WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AROUND FINALLY INVESTING IN AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTING IN NEW ECONOMIES, IN NEW INDUSTRIES, WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO BRING OUR ALLIES BACK TOGETHER AND HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHO WE ARE AS AMERICA AND GROW THAT ALLIANCE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO STAND TRUE TO OUR PRINCIPLES. >> YOU HEARD HER SAY WE SEVERAL TIMES. IS THAT A SMART MOVE BY EMBRACING THE ADMINISTRATION THAT WAY? >> SHE REALLY HAS LITTLE CHOICE, RYAN. THAT'S BECAUSE SHE IS PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION. IT ALSO SHOWS ANOTHER QUALITY THAT I HAPPEN TO LIKE ABOUT THE VICE PRESIDENT THAT HASN'T BEEN TALKED GOING A LOT. HER LOYALTY. HER SENSE OF LOYALTY. THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PAST WEEKS, SHE'S NEVER TRIED TO THROW THE PRESIDENT UNDER THE BUS OR REALLY DISTANCE HERSELF FROM HIM. BUT ON TOP OF THAT, I THINK AT THIS POINT, THE ONE MISTAKE SHE'S MAKING AS FAR AS DISTANCING HERSELF FROM THE, FROM BIDEN IS ON THIS IDEA OF LOWERING PRICE COSTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD. THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION I BELIEVE MADE ONE FATAL ERROR AND THAT WAS IN ITS NAMING OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT. EVEN THOUGH YOU REDUCE INFLATION, PRICES RARELY COME DOWN. THAT'S JUST THE REALITY. YOU HOPE YOUR DOLLAR BUYS MORE BUT PRICES WON'T COME DOWN VERY MUCH. I WOULD RATHER SEE HER GO AFTER FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS OR FORMULA OR PEOPLE THAT HAVE MONOPOLIES AND SAY WE'LL BREAK UP THE THE MONOPOLIES, CREATE COMPETITION AND DELIVER BETTER PRICES. >> SO AT THE SAME TIME NBC NEWS IS REPORTING THAT SHE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE TACTICS AT THE DEBATE A LITTLE BIT. THIS IS WHAT OUR REPORT SAYS. DRAWING A DISTINCTION BETWEEN HARRIS AND BIDEN IS A SOURCE OF TENSION. THERE ARE SOME ON THE HARRIS TEAM THAT ARE TAKING THE APPROACH SHE MAY HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY BUT FORCEFULLY LABELING FOR SOME OF THE PROBLEMS LIKE THE AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL SQUARELY AT BIDEN'S FEET. KEEPING IN MIND THEY WILL NOT ONLY BE WORKING TOGETHER IN THE MONTH AHEAD BUT HE WILL BE CAMPAIGNING FOR HER AS WELL. >> SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO FINGER-POINT. THIS IS A 20-PLUS YEAR EFFORT THAT WAS MISMANAGED IN THE BEGINNING. VERY SIMILAR TO IMMIGRATION, YOU EVER A SITUATION WHERE SHE IS EXPECTED TO FIX AN ISSUE QUICKLY THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES AND THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO DISTANCE HERSELF. SHE HAS TO TELL THE STORY OF 15 MILLION JOBS. SHE HAS TO TELL THE STORY OF THE HISTORIC INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WAS DELIVERED AFTER THREE GENERATIONS OF FAILURES BY PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS. SHE HAS TO TELL THE STORY OF HISTORICALLY HIGH BUSINESS CREATION AND BLACK BUSINESS CREATION, AND HISTORICALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT. SHE HAS TO TELL THOSE STORIES. AMERICA LEADS THE WORLD RIGHT NOW IN OIL PRODUCTION, IN PART DUE TO FRACTIONING. SHE SHOULD TELL THOSE STORIES. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO DISTANCE HERSELF OR CRITICIZE OR POINT FINGERS AT THE PRESIDENT. SHE JUST HAS TO EXPLAIN HER POSITIONS AND WHY SHE FEELS THAT WAY AND WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS DELIVERED FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. >> INTERESTING THAT YOU BRING UP FRACKING. SHE WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT AT ONE TIME. SHE WAS CLEARLY OPPOSED TO FRACKING. HER POSITION ON THAT HAS CHANGED. THIS IS HOW SHE EXPLAINED THAT SHIFT. >> DO YOU STILL WANT TO BAN FRACKING? >> NO. AND I MADE THAT CLEAR ON THE DEBATE STAGE IN 2020. THAT I WOULD NOT BAN FRACKING AS VICE PRESIDENT, I DID NOT BAN FRACKING. AS PRESIDENT, I WILL NOT BAN FRACKING. >> IN 2019, I BELIEVE, AT A TOWN HALL, YOU WERE ASKED WOULD YOU COMMIT TO PERMITTING A BAN AND YOU SAID THERE'S NO QUESTION I'M IN FAVOR OF BANNING FRACKING. SO IT CHANGED IN THAT CAMPAIGN? >> IN 2020 I MADE VERY CLEAR WHERE I STAND. WE'RE IN 2024 AND I HAVE NOT CHANGED THAT POSITION. I KEPT MY WORD AND I WILL KEEP MY WORD. >> SO SHE ADMITS THAT SHE DID CHANGE HER POSITION BUT NOW SHE WANTS VOTERS TO BELIEVE SHE WON'T CHANGE IT AGAIN. HOW DO VOTERS RESPOND? >> I THINK IT IS PERFECTLY RESPECTABLE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN SERVING AT THE PINNACLE OF POWER AS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS TO DEVELOP HER OWN OPINIONS BASED ON DIFFERENT INFORMATION AND STAND UP FOR IT. SHE DID SAY WHAT SHE WAS AGAINST FRACKING IN 2019. SHE KNEW TO BE PART OF THE BIDEN TICKET, SHE WOULD HAVE TO ADAPT IN 2020, WHICH SHE DID. PERHAPS SHE'S LEARNED MORE. THE POINT IS SHE IS GIVING A POSITION. IN CONTRAST TO DONALD TRUMP AND J.D. VANCE, IF THEY WANT TO GO THERE, I TAKE THAT FIGHT EVERY DAY. LET'S NOT FORGET THE WORDS THAT J.D. VANCE USED TO DESCRIBE DONALD TRUMP OR HOW MANY POSITIONS DONALD TRUMP HAS HAD ON ABORTION. WE CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON. HARRIS ANSWERED THAT QUESTION LIKE A POLITICIAN DOES, AND THAT'S OKAY. >> IS THAT ENOUGH THOUGH? THIS IS CLEARLY A LINE OF ATTACK THAT SHE'S A FLIP-FLOPPER AND THAT SHE CAN'T BE TRUSTED. HOW DO THEY RESPOND TO THAT? >> LOOK, I WORKED FOR MANY POLITICIANS. THE REALITY IS YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE WHO ON WEDNESDAY FEELS THE SAME WAY THEY DO ON MONDAY IF THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN NEW INFORMATION ON TUESDAY. PEOPLE'S POSITIONS EVOLVE. SHE'S LEARNED NEW THINGS. SHE'S HAD NEW EXPERIENCES AND THAT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL FOR ALL OF US. I WOULD SAY TO SUSAN'S POINT, DONALD TRUMP HAS FLIP-FLOPPED ON DOZENS OF ISSUES. THE REALITY IS FOR THE FRACKING QUESTION, AMERICA LEADS IN GLOBAL OIL PRODUCTION IN PART BECAUSE OF FRACKING UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION, OF WHICH SHE IS A PART OF. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT HER VIEW ON THAT HAS EVOLVED JUST LIKE EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTRY, AND REALLY ACROSS THE WORLD. SO THAT'S A CLEAN ANSWER AND THERE'S NO REAL ISSUE IN TERMS OF WHY SHE CHANGED HER MIND. IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE. >> YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN. SHE MENTIONED LAST NIGHT SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO PUT A REPUBLICAN IN HER CABINET. MOST REPUBLICANS WILL PROBABLY NOT VOTE FOR KAMALA HARRIS BUT IS THERE A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION, MAYBE PEOPLE LIKE YOU, THAT WILL HELP THEM MAYBE CAST A BALLOT FOR HER WHEN THEY WOULDN'T CONSIDER DOING IT OTHERWISE? >> FOR ME THERE'S NO DOUBT I'M VOTING FOR VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS. I WOULD NEVER HAVE VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP. NEVER WOULD VOTE FOR DONALD TRUMP. WHAT THIS DID, IT FOLLOWED A THEME THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT WAS TRYING TO BUILD UP ON FROM THE CONVENTION. AND THAT IS, SHE WILL BE PRESIDENT FOR ALL PEOPLE. SHE WANTS TO HEAR DIFFERENT OPINIONS WILL BEING A PROSECUTOR, SHE'S HAD TO PLAY BOTH SIDES OF AN ARGUMENT. I THINK SHE ENJOYS HAVING THAT BACK AND FORTH. AND YES, IT SHOWS SHE'S NOT CLOSED-MINDED TO SOME