[Music] Democratic presidential normany kamla Harris and her running mate Tim Walls gave a m awaited interview to CNN it was Harris's first interview since launching her bid for the presidency more than a month [Applause] ago kamla Harris has had very little time before the November 5 election to win over voters she has pitched herself as a leader who will offer generational change as compared to her Republican rival Donald Trump but as the 27-minute interview unfolded kamla Harris appeared to prove that she won't stray far from Biden's [Applause] Legacy Harris described how she learned that Joe Biden was withdrawing from the presidential race in July he told me what he had decided to do and um I asked him are you sure and he said yes and um but that's how I learned about it and what about the endorsement did you ask for it and he was very clear that he was going to support me kamla Harris was pressed about whether she would set herself apart from Biden when it came to the Gaza War Israel had a right has a right to defend itself we would and how it does so matters far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed and we've got to get a deal done Harris was questioned about her position on fracking when you were in Congress you supported the green New Deal and in 2019 you said quote there is no question I'm in favor of banning fracking fracking as you know is a pretty big issue particularly in your must-win state of Pennsylvania do you still want to ban fracking no and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fr fracking as vice president I did not ban fracking as president I will not ban fracking and she rejected claims of flip-flops in her policies the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed kamla Harris said she is open to appointing a republican to her cabinet I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion 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 um it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a republican but she chose not to engage with Trump's personal attacks he suggested that you happened to turn black recently for political purposes questioning a core part of your identity yeah any same old tired Playbook next question please that's it that's it while many wondered why Harris had chosen to do her first sitdown interview with her running mate by her side Tim Walls got a chance to clear things up you said that you carried weapons in War but you have never deployed actually in a war zone a campaign official said that you misspoke did you well first of all I'm incredibly proud I've done 24 years of wearing uniform of this country equally proud of my service in a public school classroom whether it's Congress or uh or the governor uh my record speaks for itself but I think uh people are coming yet to know me I I speak like they do um I speak candidly I wear my emotions on my sleeves Donald Trump had one word to describe the interview boring for the most part it was unremarkable so will the much hyped first interview soon be a forgotten pit stop in Harris's campaign or is Harris banking on voters to choose boring over drama