In first campaign interview, airing soon, Harris promises Republican in Cabinet if she wins

In first campaign interview, airing on on CNN tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT, Harris promises Republican in Cabinet if she wins. Who might she have in mind?

The first interview that VP Kamala Harris has sat for since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee is already making headlines before it has even aired. The full interview will air on CNN tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT. However, CNN has already aired promotional clips. In one, Harris claims that her “values have not changed” when asked about positions she held in the past which she has disavowed since becoming the nominee.

In another clip, she vowed to have a Republican as a member of her Cabinet if she is elected. This is a pivot to the middle to appeal to undecided voters. While polls currently have Harris leading nationally, the race remains tight in swing states despite her post-convention poll bump.

The stakes for this interview are particularly high for Harris. She has largely shunned calls for her to do a sit-down interview, so her relationship with traditional media has been somewhat distant. Even in his instance, she will not be doing a solo interview. Her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be joining her.

CNN’s Dana Bash, who will be conducting the interview, is known to be quite cozy with the Democratic Party establishment. However, Bash will likely ask at least a few tough questions. Harris has not always performed well off-script, and her much-anticipated debate with Donald Trump (the only one currently scheduled) is just days away.

What Republicans might Harris have in mind for her Cabinet?

It’s not clear if Harris has a particular Republican in mind for her Cabinet, but there are some potential contenders. At the convention, six prominent former Republicans took the stage to announce their support for Harris, citing their dissatisfaction with Donald Trump. They included:

Stephanie Grisham (names link to video of DNC speeches) – Trump’s former White House Press Secretary who published a tell-all book last year titled “I’ll take your questions now”.
Ana Navarro – A conservative political commentator who has worked with several prominent Republican office holders including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona. However, she is pro-choice, pro-gun control and pro-LGBT rights. Given these positions, she could easily find a home in the Harris administration, though it’s not clear what post she would be qualified to hold. She has a law degree but it’s not clear if she has ever practiced law.
John Giles – The current mayor of Mesa, Arizona who has been in office since 2014. At the DNC, he said that while he felt “out of place” as a lifelong Republican, he felt “more at home here than in today’s Republican Party”. He said the party has been “kidnapped by extremists and devolved into a cult- the cult of Donald Trump”. However, he credited the Biden/Harris administration, who he says “delivered for my conservative community, and countless more across the country”. Mesa, AZ, has been a major beneficiary of the CHIPS act, with two factories opening there to produce semiconductors.
Olivia Troye – A career national security official first appointed by George W. Bush, who later served as former VP Mike Pence’s national security and counterterrorism advisor.
Geoff Duncan – A former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (2019-2023) who criticized Trump from the DNC podium and especially his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Under Trump’s influence, Duncan says, “Our party is not civil or conservative and the only thing left to do is dump Trump”. He spoke about how Trump and his supporters targeted his family after he criticized Trump for trying to subvert the results of the 2020 election.
Adam Kinzinger – U.S. Representative from Illinois (2011-2023), an Iraq War veteran who was famously one of only 10 Republican members of the House who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection. He later served on the House committee that investigated Jan. 6, which was led by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.

In first campaign interview, airing soon, Harris promises Republican in Cabinet if she wins – National & International News – THU 29Aug2024