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Vice President Kamala Harris was put on the spot by a group of undecided Hispanic voters in Nevada on Thursday, where she was pressed on a number of key issues, from immigration to health care.
But as the vice president seeks to rally support from this key voting bloc with just 26 days left until Election Day, she played it safe, avoiding some hot-button issues and resorting to talking points she often uses during the election campaign.
The hour-long public meeting was scheduled at the University of Nevada Las Vegas to air nationally on Univision Thursday night.
Journalist Enrique Acevedo moderated the program where he sometimes also acted as a translator while voters asked questions in both Spanish and English.
Kamala Harris speaking during Univision’s town hall with undecided Hispanic voters. The event was moderated by Enrique Acevedo (left)
Former President Donald Trump will also participate in a Univision town hall with undecided Hispanic voters next week after a taping earlier this week was delayed due to Hurricane Milton.
Here are the conclusions of the vice president’s town hall:
Kamala Harris avoids immigration again
The vice president was questioned about immigration by several undecided voters during the town hall, but he offered little new information and instead returned to talking points.
At one point she was asked directly what she would do that is different from what President Biden has done to fix the border and ensure it is secure.
Harris pointed to his recent trip in late September to the border.
“Maybe what sets me apart from at least a couple of people is that I was the top law enforcement official in the largest state in the country, California, which is also a border state,” Harris said. “I have faced transnational criminal organizations.”
While the vice president spoke about her unique experience as a top prosecutor, she did not go into detail about how she would differ from Biden in addressing the issue, similar to how she struggled to differentiate herself in general recently during an appearance on The View.
“I’ll compare my record to anyone in terms of the work I’ve always done, and it will always be to ensure that we have a secure border,” Harris said.
Harris was asked about her differences with Biden on ensuring the border is secure. He noted that he has unique experience as the former Attorney General of California and touted that record before mentioning the failed bipartisan border deal.
He went on to talk about the bipartisan border deal that was killed by Republicans in Congress encouraged by Trump.
“So my promise to you is that, by the grace of God and I hope with your support as well, when I’m president, I will bring back that border security bill,” Harris said, reiterating what she has said at media events. campaign around the world. country.
While Harris was not directly asked to defend her record on the issue as vice president or the administration’s actions, as she did during a 60 Minutes grilling, she was quick to return to the agreement rather than record any differences, as It is still part of the administration.
An emotional moment about health care for immigrants
In the most emotional moment at the town hall, a woman revealed that her mother had passed away just six weeks ago.
Speaking through tears, Ivette Castillo told the vice president that she is an American citizen born to Mexican parents who had been in the United States since before she was born. His father was able to obtain legal status but his mother was undocumented.
Castillo shared that her mother was never able to get the care and services she needed and asked Harris how she plans to support the “subgroup of immigrants who have been here all or most of their lives” but have to live “in the shadows.” “. ‘
“I’m so sorry,” Harris responded, visibly empathetic. “You must remember your mother as she lived.”
Harris listening to a question from Ivett Castillo of Las Vegas during her town hall hosted by Univision. Castillo revealed that his mother passed away just six weeks ago after not being able to receive the services she needed due to her legal status in the US.
The vice president stated that part of the problem she “assumes” is that the United States has a “flawed immigration system.”
He talked about how the first bill introduced in Congress after being elected in 2020 was to fix the immigration system, including a comprehensive path to citizenship. He said that if Castillo’s mother had been able to obtain citizenship, she would have been entitled to medical care.
“There are real people who are suffering from the inability to put solutions before politics,” Harris said.
He then proceeded to talk about the bipartisan immigration bill that failed in Congress.
Harris speaking with Ivett Castillo after the taping of her town hall in Las Vegas
Once the town hall was over, the vice president could be seen approaching and having a personal conversation with Castillo while holding her hand.
Concerns remain about how Harris took over the ticket
An undecided voter confronted the vice president during the town hall about how she came to be the Democratic presidential candidate.
He said she became a candidate without going through primaries or caucuses, which caught his attention.
“I’m also concerned about the way I feel President Biden was pushed aside,” she told him before asking him to clarify the process.
She began by thanking him for being “so sincere.”
Kamala Harris listening to a question during the town hall with undecided Hispanic voters in Las Vegas. One man expressed concern about how she became the nominee, describing Biden as being “sidelined.”
“President Biden made a decision that I think history will show was probably one of the bravest that a president could make, and that is that he decided to put the country above his personal interests, and he made the decision,” Harris said.
She talked about Biden supporting her and urging her to run and be his partner for the last four years.
“I feel honored to have won the Democratic nomination,” she said. “I am honored to have the support of people from all walks of life.”
Harris criticized Trump, pointing out his comments about being a dictator on day one, urged people to look at Project 2025 and warned that what is at stake is “extraordinarily high.’
“This is literally about whether we support a democracy for the Constitution of the United States or are we going to follow the path of someone who was a sore loser and lost the election in 2020,” she continued, accusing him of inciting the attack on January 6.
The vice president promised that she will win the vote.
Harris falls short when naming three of Trump’s virtues
In what was perhaps going to be a final feel-good question at the town hall, Harris was asked about three virtues that Trump has, but she came up short.
First, he criticized the former president’s approach of making it “us versus them.”
Finally, he came to name a virtue:
“I think Donald Trump loves his family and I think that’s very important,” said Harris, who called family one of the most important things we could prioritize.
“But to be honest, I don’t really know him,” Harris added. “I met him once, on the debate stage.”
He used the rest of the time to promote his campaign.