Vice President Kamala Harris announced her plans for new economic measures geared at expanding opportunities for Latinos, categorizing herself as a "pragmatic capitalist" in a recent interview.
The Vice President and Democratic nominee sat down with Noticias Telemundo's Julio Vaqueiro as part of her media blitz in a last push to court Latino voters.
Harris offered new policies aimed at Latinos, including assessing which federal government jobs should require college degrees and encouraging companies to take a similar approach and offering a $50,000 tax deduction for those starting up their own small business.
She also promoted other economic policies she's previously campaigned on, including a $25,000 homeowner credit for first-time buyers and expanding the child tax credit. She explained that her plans were building a strong economy that supports working people.
"I know that Latino men often have a more difficult time having access to the big loans from the big banks because of relationships, because of things that are not necessarily grounded in their qualifications," Harris told Vaqueiro. "So, I am focused on what we can do to bring more capital to community banks that will understand the economy and be able to give those kinds of loans."
Over the last half century, Democratic presidential candidates have usually needed to secure at least 64% of the Latino vote to win, an Axios analysis explains. Harris' support currently sits along the mid-to upper-50s. As Latinos today comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. population, their support is crucial for both parties' chances of victory come November.
Vaqueiro asked Harris if she defined herself as a "progressive," "socialist" or "moderate." She dodged using any of those labels in her response.
"I believe that we need a new generation of leadership in America that actively works with the private sector to build up the new industries of America, to build up small business owners, to allow us to increase home ownership, to allow people and their families to build intergenerational wealth," she said.
Pressed again on the issue, Harris said "I am a capitalist. I am a pragmatic capitalist."
"I believe in the freedom of people to make decisions about their own bodies and women to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government tell them what to do," she added.
The question comes as Republicans have tried to paint Harris as a socialist, calling her "Comrade Kamala" in campaign events and social media memes. Experts say these claims capitalize on genuine fears held by some voters who fled repression in countries like Cuba and Venezuela, BBC reports.
In one viral video, Harris and her running mate, Minn. Gov. Tim Walz appears to pose for a selfie in front of a sign for Revolutionary Communists of America, a far-left group. The video is fake, and the video was doctored by a group of Trump supporters known as the Dilley Meme Team.
The Telemundo interview, which will air on Wednesday, is also among the last push by Harris to appeal to Latinos, a move Trump is also adopting. Both candidates have participated in town halls with Univision. Trump held a Latino roundtable in Florida on Tuesday, and Walz, along with some of the Harris campaign surrogates have participated in appearances with Latino media.
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