On Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a wide-ranging interview with “The Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne Tha God. The hour-long town hall comes three weeks before Election Day, and covered everything from reparations to Donald Trump’s name-calling.
The interview began with Charlamagne asking Harris to address critics who have called some of her talking points repetitive. She instead labeled herself “disciplined,” before delving into some viral moments that got Black folks talking.
When Charlamagne asked Harris why she isn’t defending herself against Trump dubbing her the “border czar,” the VP quipped that if she responded to all the names he called her she couldn’t focus on the American people. One X user, @acnewsitics, pointed out the importance of this moment by saying “Only idiots take Trump’s bait.”
Another poignant moment was when Harris took a moment to celebrate her cultural upbringing by sharing that she grew up in a Black church. Author and former White House aide Keith Boykin highlighted the call-and-response exchange, which is one that Black folks know all too well. “God is good,” Charlamagne stated, to which Harris replied “All the time.”
As the conversation progressed, Vice President Harris addressed that she is open to reparations for Black folks, though it needs to be studied (she has previously backed legislation that would have created a federal commission to analyze it).
Harris also addressed the misconception that Trump gave out stimulus checks during the pandemic — not Biden — which writer Erika D. Smith was grateful for and expressed that sentiment on X.
Charlamagne and Harris agreed that Trump supports fascism, and Harris cleared up her own prosecutorial record. These moments were powerful, but some wondered why Harris agreed to do an interview with Charlamagne to begin with.
One X user, BadgyalTerryG, posed the question: “Why does Kamala’s team have her talking to Charlamagne and The Shade Room?” The answer to this question is whether you love or hate these platforms, they have a powerful voice in the Black community despite the fact they sometimes get it wrong.
“One of the biggest challenges that I face is mis- and disinformation,” Harris stated during the interview. “And it’s purposeful, because it is meant to convince people that they somehow should not believe that the work that I have done has occurred and has meaning.”
In three weeks, we’ll see how much Harris’ efforts will resonate with voters. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.