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Harris Deflects Inflation Question, Attempts to Shift Focus to Middle-Class Roots

 September 14, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris recently came under fire during a local TV interview for failing to address a question regarding her economic policies aimed at lowering prices for Americans and instead focusing on her middle-class upbringing, a response that sparked widespread criticism on social media.

During the interview, Harris sidestepped a direct question about lowering prices, leading to a backlash for her lack of specificity, as Fox News reports.

Harris appeared on Philadelphia's 6 ABC for her first solo interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, where she spoke with anchor Brian Taff. When asked about her "specific" plans to reduce costs for Americans, Harris opened her response with a discussion about her childhood and community.

Harris Recalls Middle-Class Upbringing Instead of Addressing Prices

Harris began her answer by reminiscing about growing up in a middle-class household. She noted that her mother, who raised her and her sister, worked diligently to save enough money to purchase their first home.

Harris also mentioned that she grew up surrounded by neighbors who were "proud of their lawns," a statement that would later become a target of criticism.

In her response, Harris highlighted her neighborhood's hardworking residents, such as construction workers, nurses, and teachers, in an attempt to relate to middle-class Americans.

She transitioned from this personal story to discussing broader themes of dignity and ambition, stating that many Americans share dreams and aspirations but lack the resources to achieve them.

Harris Highlights Economic Proposals but Avoids Price-Specific Answers

Although Harris briefly mentioned two of her economic proposals -- $50,000 in tax deductions for startup businesses and $25,000 in down payment assistance for homebuyers -- critics pointed out that she failed to answer the initial question about how she would specifically lower prices for everyday Americans.

This avoidance led to swift backlash on social media, where prominent figures criticized her for not providing clear policy solutions.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung called Harris a "complete joke" on social media, emphasizing his view that she had evaded the question. Other commentators, such as Noah Rothman from National Review, accused Harris of filibustering during the interview. Rothman noted that Harris managed to speak for "90 straight seconds while saying nothing of value."

Social Media Reactions Highlight Harris's Avoidance

Social media erupted with responses to Harris's interview. Stephen L. Miller, host of the Versus Media podcast, highlighted that Harris had repeated the same rehearsed lines in a previous ABC News debate.

David Hookstead, a writer for Outkick, mocked her comment about lawns, questioning its relevance to the topic of inflation. He sarcastically remarked that the discussion of lawns was hardly appropriate when talking about addressing rising prices.

Harris has been criticized before for not directly addressing economic concerns. In a past ABC News debate, she was similarly asked whether Americans were better off financially than they had been four years prior. Her response at that time mirrored the themes of her recent interview, focusing on creating what she called an "opportunity economy" without directly addressing the question at hand.

Criticism Surrounds Harris's Economic Messaging

Harris's repeated emphasis on broad economic values, such as ambition, dreams, and creating opportunities, without offering concrete answers to immediate economic issues, has become a point of contention. In both the past debate and the recent interview, she spoke of lifting up the middle class and creating opportunities for people to start small businesses, yet her critics argue that these proposals do not adequately address the current economic realities.

In her latest appearance, Harris emphasized the need to invest in communities and provide resources to those with dreams and ambitions. She reiterated her belief in fostering an economy where small business owners and homebuyers could thrive, but many viewers remained unsatisfied with her response to questions about inflation and rising prices.

Conclusion

Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview on 6 ABC drew sharp criticism after she avoided directly answering a question on lowering prices for Americans.

Instead, she focused on her middle-class roots, speaking about her upbringing and the values she learned from her community. While Harris mentioned several economic proposals, such as tax deductions for small businesses and assistance for homebuyers, critics took issue with her failure to provide clear solutions for the current economic climate.

The response on social media was overwhelmingly negative, with political figures and commentators accusing her of evading the key issues of inflation and economic hardship. As Harris continues her campaign, questions about her economic policies are likely to remain at the forefront.