Kamala Harris gave her first interview on the White House campaign since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee nearly two months ago.The US vice president sat down with an ABC news station in Pennsylvania to discuss the economy, political instability and gun control. His Republican opponent, Donald Trump, responded to the interview by saying: “Yesterday he was very difficult to answer simple questions.”According to polls, Harris and Trump are battling for the White House in Pennsylvania and other battleground states ahead of the November election.During Friday’s 11-minute stop in Johnstown, Harris was asked how he would lower costs for Americans. Inflation has slowed from rising to a 40-year high at the start of the Biden administration, even as unemployment has fallen to historic lows. He said he would give a $50,000 (£38,000) tax break to small business owners to set up their companies and a $25,000 bonus for first-time home buyers. The plan’s price tag and who can sign up are unclear.Last month, Harris called for the government’s “first food subsidy ban,” though he did not mention the idea in an interview Friday. It drew criticism from economists and trade groups, with Trump comparing it to Soviet-style tariff controls.Harris also told the local ABC station on Friday that he supports legal gun rights but wants to ban semi-automatic weapons.”I’m pretty sure we’re going to come with the Second Amendment and your right to bear arms and say we want to ban guns,” he said. “They are a real weapon of war.”Harris continued to point to Trump, saying that the American people want to unite the country, unlike his opponent, who he said is “trying to point our fingers at them.”He was also asked how he differs from the current US president, who suspended his campaign on July 21 and endorsed him. Harris repeated a line from the debate, saying he was “not Joe Biden.”He also said “it will give us a new generation of leadership”.Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday morning that the inquiry was “a global problem, a real problem!”Harris’ campaign got a boost this week as polls showed he won the first debate with Trump on Sunday. The Republican has said he won’t run against him again, saying he won.Amid requests that he provide media access, Harris appeared on CNN last month for his first interview since the nomination, along with his colleague Tim Walls..
