As the 2024 U.S. presidential election rapidly approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with 60 Minutes to discuss her candidacy and key issues shaping the race. In her interview, Harris tackled some of the most pressing concerns facing the nation, from the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the state of the U.S. economy to her plans for immigration reform and the challenges of working with Congress.
With just 29 days left until the election, Harris, along with her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, is facing an intense and close battle against former President Donald Trump. This interview sheds light on her policy positions, leadership style, and vision for America’s future. Throughout the discussion, Harris provided insights into her views on global diplomacy, economic strategy, and her unwavering commitment to middle-class families.
Here’s a look at the full transcript of Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview, where she addresses these critical issues head-on.
Kamala Harris has been a candidate for president for just two and a half months, and the post-convention honeymoon is over with the election just 29 days away. Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, face unrelenting attacks from Donald Trump, and the race remains extremely close.
We met the 59-year-old vice president this past week on the campaign trail and later at the vice president’s residence in Washington, DC. We spoke about the economy, immigration, Ukraine, and China, but we began with the escalating war in the Middle East, one year after the Hamas terror attack on Israel.
The War in the Middle East
Interviewer: The events of the past few weeks have pushed us to the brink, if not into an all-out regional war in the Middle East. What can the U.S. do at this point to stop this from spinning out of control?
Kamala Harris: Well, let’s start with October 7—1,200 people were massacred, 250 hostages were taken, including Americans, and women were brutally raped. As I said then, and I maintain now, Israel has a right to defend itself—we would. But how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. This war has to end.
Interviewer: We supply Israel with billions of dollars in military aid, and yet Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be charting his own course. The Biden-Harris Administration has pressed him to agree to a ceasefire, but he has resisted. You urged him not to go into Lebanon, yet he went in anyway. Does the U.S. have no sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu?
Kamala Harris: The work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles.
Interviewer: But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening.
Kamala Harris: We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.
Interviewer: Do we have a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu?
Kamala Harris: I think, with all due respect, the better question is, do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people? And the answer to that question is yes.
The U.S. Economy and Rising Costs
Interviewer: While the war in the Middle East has dominated recent headlines, it’s the economy that most concerns American voters this election year. There are lots of signs that the American economy is doing very well—better than most countries, I think—but the American people don’t seem to be feeling it. Groceries are 25% higher, and people are blaming you and Joe Biden for that. Are they wrong?
Kamala Harris: We now have historic low unemployment in America among all groups of people. We now have an economy that is thriving by all macroeconomic measures. And to your point, prices are still too high, and I know that, and we need to deal with it—which is why part of my plan, you mentioned groceries, part of my plan is what we must do to bring down the price of groceries.
Interviewer: Harris says she’ll press Congress to pass a federal ban on price gouging for food and groceries, but details are yet to be defined. You want to expand the child tax credit, yes?
Kamala Harris: Yes, I do.
Interviewer: You want to give tax breaks to first-time homebuyers?
Kamala Harris: Yes.
Interviewer: And people starting small businesses?
Kamala Harris: Correct.
Interviewer: But it is estimated by the Nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget that your economic plan would add $3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. How are you going to pay for that?
Kamala Harris: Okay, so the other economists who have reviewed my plan versus my opponent’s have determined that my economic plan would strengthen America’s economy, while his would weaken it. My plan is about saying that when you invest in small businesses, you invest in the middle class, and you strengthen America’s economy. Small businesses are part of the backbone of America’s economy.
Interviewer: But, pardon me, Madam Vice President, the question was, how are you going to pay for it?
Kamala Harris: One of the things I’m going to do is make sure that the richest among us, who can afford it, pay their fair share in taxes. It is not right that teachers, nurses, and firefighters are paying a higher tax rate than billionaires and the biggest corporations. I plan on making that fair.
Challenges in Congress
Interviewer: But we’re dealing with the real world here. The real world includes, how are you going to get this through Congress?
Kamala Harris: You know, when you talk quietly with a lot of folks in Congress, they know exactly what I’m talking about because their constituents know exactly what I’m talking about. Their constituents are those firefighters, teachers, and nurses. Their constituents are middle-class, hardworking folks.
Interviewer: But Congress has shown no inclination to move in your direction.
Kamala Harris: I disagree with you. There are plenty of leaders in Congress who understand and know that the Trump tax cuts blew up our federal deficit. None of us, and certainly I, cannot afford to be myopic in terms of how I think about strengthening America’s economy.
Immigration: Harris’ Achilles Heel?
Interviewer: Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris approach to immigration has been inconsistent, and Republicans are convinced it’s your Achilles’ heel. You recently visited the southern border and embraced President Biden’s crackdown on asylum seekers, which produced an immediate decrease in the number of border crossings. If that’s the right answer now, why didn’t your administration take those steps in 2021?
Kamala Harris: The first bill we proposed to Congress was to fix our broken immigration system, knowing that if you want to fix it, we need Congress to act. It was not taken up.
On Accusations of Racism Against Trump
Interviewer: You’ve accused Donald Trump of using racist tropes, and yet he has the support of millions of Americans. How do you explain that?
Kamala Harris: I believe the people of America want a leader who is not trying to divide us and demean. The true measure of a leader’s strength is not who you beat down but who you lift up.
Final Thoughts
With the election nearing, Kamala Harris remains focused on earning every vote and defending her policies. Whether discussing the economy, immigration, or U.S. relations with Israel, Harris seeks to present a vision of consensus-building and a future that prioritizes the middle class.
Stay tuned for more updates as Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, continue their campaign.
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