LAS VEGAS — Vice President Kamala Harris finally confronted the question of her candidacy’s primary-free path after 10 weeks as the presumptive and then actual Democratic presidential nominee.
And it wasn’t a reporter who asked — it was an undecided voter at Univision’s Thursday town hall.
“You earned your candidacy without going through the normal process, that is primary elections or through a caucus,” said property manager Mario Sigbaum, a Uruguay native who became a US citizen 28 years ago. “That really caught my attention. I’m also concerned about the way I feel President Biden was pushed aside. How can you clarify this?”
Harris acknowledged the “unprecedented” way she secured the nod.
“President Biden made a decision that I think history will show is probably one of the most courageous that a president could make, which is he decided to put country above his personal interest. And he made that decision he very within that same period of time, supported my candidacy and urged me to run,” Harris said in one of her signature word salads. “And I am honored to have earned the Democratic nomination.”
But former President Donald Trump — who, unlike Harris, bested a field of rivals in two presidential primary cycles — represents the actual anti-democratic threat, she said in a quick pivot.
“Donald Trump said he would, and I’m using a quotation, ‘terminate the Constitution of the United States,’” Harris said. “Imagine the Constitution of the United States would guarantee the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure by a government on you, the Fifth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment.”
The Democrat did not mention the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, or the Second Amendment, codifying citizens’ right to bear arms.
“Noticias Univision Presents: Latinos Ask, Kamala Harris Responds,” sponsored by the Spanish-language network, will air Thursday at 10 p.m.
The one-hour program, recorded on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus, featured questions from Hispanics said to be undecided about their choice next month. The network flew in at least two voters — from Florida and Wisconsin — for the event.
Voters queried the veep in Spanish and English, with moderator Enrique Acevedo providing Harris a translation when needed; she answered in English.
At one point, Harris offered sympathy to a questioner who said her noncitizen mother — who apparently resided in America for decades — died without getting necessary health care.
“You must remember her as she lived,” the veep said. “Not how she died.”
But later in the discussion, Harris displayed a harder edge. Asked to name three positive things about Trump by an audience member, the candidate could only praise the ex-prez for “having love for his family.”
Harris continued, “I don’t really know him. To be honest with you, I only met him one time on the debate stage. I’ve never met him before, so I don’t really have much more to offer you.”
She then made a pitch for “80 pages of policy positions” on her campaign website.
The rest of the Q&A saw Harris reach into her stump-speech grab bag for stock answers on subjects such as inflation — she blamed “price gouging” — and abortion — “in the year of our Lord 2024,” women shouldn’t have to worry about “politicians” deciding their options.
Harris took questions as part of an effort to shore up support from a community whose voters are drifting towards Trump.
A September NBC News/Telemundo poll shows the lowest level of Hispanic support for Democrats since 2012. While 7 in 10 Hispanic voters supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, Harris has just 54% backing this year, with Trump at 40%.
Univision — which is expected to host a similar event with Trump next week — refused to make audience members available to reporters. A spokeswoman would not provide a reason for their segregation.
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