Let me ask you this,
as someone who's running to be president,
one thing I've always enjoyed about watching you is,
you know, like, in hearings, you're focused,
you-you know what you want to talk about,
you know what the issues are, but, at the same time,
you, you know-- you have a light side to you as well.
Are you ready for how frivolous
some of the campaign trail is going to be?
Like, I mean, you've seen how people are asking
-if people know how to eat fried chicken properly -I know.
and, um, do people know how to eat corn.
-And, like, are-are you ready for that part? -I know.
-Do you think people still like that... -It's already happened,
-Trevor. It already happened. -Yeah?
So, I was in, um, South Carolina recently.
-Right. -And, uh, I'm gonna tell you, you know,
one of the things-- I will say this--
that I love about campaigning,
um, you meet the angels walking among us.
You meet people you otherwise may never meet
who are doing incredible work in their communities,
love their communities, are-are leaders in their communities
without any requirement that people applaud them
or pay attention to them. They're just doing great work.
And I love that about campaigning.
-On the other side of it... -(laughter)
So, I'm in South Carolina.
Okay, so, first of all, let me just say,
I've never run for president of the United States before,
-so it's a new experience. -Right.
And-and part of the new experience is
all these people will follow
-when you go somewhere just to eat. -Yes.
And, like, when I go somewhere to eat, it's 'cause I'm hungry
and I really want to be able to eat.
And, you know, when you have been working
-for a long period of time -Yes.
-and you're really hungry, -Yes.
you can get kind of primal.
(laughing)
Like, "Everybody back the you-know-what off!
I'm hungry!"
And-and so I go into this place,
and it's-- Rodney Scott is his name,
and he's got-- in South Carolina.
So, South Carolina has got different kinds of regions,
and, based on the region, the barbecue sauce is different.
-Oh, okay, I didn't know that. -Oh, vinegar-based
-versus, like, tomato base versus mustard base. -Right.
Okay, so his is vinegar-based, and his--
and his restaurant is just-- the food is amazing.
So, I'm standing in line,
and there's, like, all this press over there.
And I can hear this whispering by some of the press.
"What's she gonna order? What's she gonna order?
Did she order meat or did she just order, like, a salad?"
Right? And I'm like, "Are you kidding me?"
First of all,
why would that be a debatable
-or even a-a subject of discussion, -Right, right.
when we are dealing with mass iss--
like, massive issues in our country?
We're dealing with issues of massive inequality.
We are dealing with the concern
that we've got a president embarrassing us in Munich.
We've got so many things to talk about.
Yes, but did you order the-- did you order the...
Pulled pork, man! I had pulled pork!
(laughter)
-Are you kidding me?! -We want to know!
-It-it really... -'Cause that's what I felt like eating!
Right. It really is interesting. You know--
you know what's interesting? And this is--
this is what's gonna be tough for you
and every other Democratic candidate
is that you do realize that you're going to be held
to different standards than Donald Trump.
Because what people consider a scandal for him
has now-- it has to be the utmost degree.
I mean, he can basically threaten someone on Twitter,
and people are like, "That's the president being the president."
But if you order salad
when you should order pulled pork,
-people are coming for you. -This is my-- this is my point.
So then-- okay, I'm gonna-- It goes on.
So, in the same trip, then--
-So, I-I care a lot about small businesses. -Right.
And, in fact, that's part of my agenda
about what we should do to actually give more federal,
um, incentives for-for small businesses
for-for investment and growth.
-(cheering and applause) -So-- Okay.
For so many reasons,
including that, when you look at a path
towards financial health and success,
when you look at how small businesses run themselves
in a way that it's not just about running the business
but being a member of the community,
small business leaders are also civic leaders,
they're community leaders, okay, on and on.
So I'm visiting small businesses on a street called Lady Street,
which, by the way, on Lady Street,
all but one of the business owners is a woman.
-Wow. -It's-- Yeah, it's really fantastic.
So, I'm visiting this one
where the woman who runs the-the salon,
um, Naida, Styled by Naida,
she was formerly in foster care,
she was homeless,
she put herself through school.
She had never worn any clothes for her--
almost her entire life that was firsthand.
-All secondhand. -Right.
So she decided to start this vintage store
where the proceeds of her sales
go to helping women who have-- who have--
-don't have clothes. So, for example, -That's amazing.
for the local college, she gives clothes to women
who are going for interviews and job interviews and going--
Just incredible work.
So, I'm in the store, and I'm hearing her story.
And then, you know, I want to buy something.
And so then I look at this... (chuckles)
multicolored sequins jacket.
(laughing)
And I'm thinking this would be really great
-for Pride Parade, right? -Right. Right.
(laughs): So...
And I try it on.
And then that's it, and I leave.
And I-- and I was in South Carolina.
Then I-I fly back, and I get home and my husband's like,
"Do you know--" 'cause he wasn't with me--
He's like, "So, there's this jacket
"that apparently you tried on.
It's-it's now got its own life."
And, like, apparently, it became the subject
of all this controversy by journalists
around should she be doing something like shopping
if she's running for president
-and then all this other-- -Right.
-And just ridiculous, right? It's ridiculous. -It's-it's--
It really is an interesting journey to be on
when-when you have policy ideas,
and people are looking into the small... like, the frivolous.
As you say, I mean, you're visiting a business owner,
and people go like, "Should you be shopping or not?"
Like, when the... and the story should be about the need
-for small businesses in America -Right.
...to receive the support that they deserve,
understanding that that is a path to economic growth
-and opportunity for so many community... -But the story...
But the story was about the jacket.
But the story was about my multicol...
I bought it, also.
(laughter, applause and cheering)
I like that you finished up the stories.
That's good. That is good.
Let me... let me... let me ask you this.
Let me... let me ask you a few things.
Um, 'cause, honestly, I could chat to you forever.
I mean, the...
What I'd like to know is...
You-you have this vision for America.
You-you are saying to Americans,
"I want you to elect me as president of the United States."
You have had some strong words to say
-about the current president's border wall specifically. -Yeah.
Now he's pitched this as one of the things
that is going to prevent drugs from coming into the country,
and this is going to keep Americans safe.
You have said, "No, this is a vanity project."
Why do you say that, and why do you think it will not help?
Okay, so, as we have discussed,
I had a career as a prosecutor.
That included prosecuting
-transnational criminal organizations. -Mm-hmm.
I have gone to the border.
I have personally seen the tunnels.
I have seen photographs of tunnels
-between Mexico and the United States... -Right.
that were literally as smooth as the walls in this studio.
Right. We've got smooth walls.
-Lined with air conditioning and lighting. -Right.
And the point being that these were built
because people are making a whole lot of money
-in the trafficking of guns, drugs and human beings. -Uh-huh.
That wall ain't gonna stop them.
This is about tunnels, it's about ports of entry.
-He has created a fiction, and-and... -But-but...
-You watch the State of the Union. -Uh-huh.
Because the narrative, right, the yarn that he is pulling
suggests that there is some link
between transnational criminal activity
and these children crossing the border with their parents,
fleeing murder capitals of the world,
seeking asylum in the country
-that has always proudly held itself out to be... -Right.
(applause and cheering)
a place that will be a refuge...
So...
for people fleeing harm.
So, that was... that's understandable.
Now what we're starting to see is
different Democratic candidates and hopefuls coming out
and saying what their opinion or their idea
-of a border enforcement, uh, would be. -Right.
-Right. -Um, Beto O'Rourke, who I...
-hasn't formerly entered the race... -Right.
has come out and said
-he would remove the existing wall. -Yeah.
I think there's about 700 miles of border wall.
And he said, "Oh, I think all walls are bad,
and I think all existing barriers would be moved."
Would you remove the walls if you became president--
the walls that exist now?
No, I believe that we need border security, and
but we need smart border security.
We need to... We-we can't...
We can't have open borders. We need to have border security.
All nations do.
All nations define their borders.
But our... We should not have a policy and a perspective
that is grounded in keeping people out
for the sake of-of this nationalistic kind of thing
that this president is trying to push.
We should have borders that also allow people to come in.
That is part of the strength of our nation.
We are nation that was founded and-and has grown
because we have always welcomed immigrants.
-We are a nation of immigrants. Look. -But Trump is saying...
-But Trump is saying... -If you are not Native American,
-your people are immigrants. -Right. No, that's true.
-(applause and cheering) -But-but Trump is saying...
Well, except for those... except for those...
except for those who were kidnapped
-and brought over on a slave ship. -Right.
-(applause) -Right, but-but Trump is arguing...
He's saying, as he always says, he says,
"I love immigrants if they come in legally, folks.
I just want them to come in through the front door."
That's what he says. So he's saying, "I don't mind. I..."
He's like, "I'm with you, Kamala.
"I married an immigrant, but I want...
I want an immigrant to come in through the front door."
That's-that's what his argument is.
But the argument does not hold water, Trevor,
because he has also not put in place or even advocated
for comprehensive immigration reform.
He has not advocated for...
He has... he has shut down the DACA system.
I mean, listen,
this is "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals."
There was a policy in place that said,
"For those children who were brought to the United States,
-some before they could walk or talk." -Mm-hmm.
They vetted, a-a system where they had to clear a vet.
Had they committed a crime? No.
Were they in college? Were they being productive? Yes.
-If all of those criteria were met... -Yes.
they received protection, which he ended.
And it's only because of the courts
that those kids are not now being deported.
So, he cannot stand on principle or American values
or morals in taking the position he has taken,
because it is immoral, and it is against American values,
these positions he has taken on immigration.
Yes, we need border security.
We also need comprehensive immigration reform.
We also need to protect those
who are fleeing violence and harm
by giving them an opportunity to be heard around asylum.
He's shutting that down.
He's not even letting these people walk in
to have their hearing
-so we can determine the legitimacy... -Mm-hmm.
of the harm that they are fleeing.
When you look at, um,
the future of America then,
as a presidential hopeful,
you see yourself sitting in that Oval Office,
what would you like the new message of America to be
if there were a post Trump presidency?
-Which there will be. Uh-huh. -Well, if we survive.
(applause and cheering)
It's not the apocalypse.
(both laugh)
Yet. Um, the message has to be that we are a nation
that values truth and justice.
The message has to be
that we will continue to be
what, by nature, we have always been,
which is a source of our strength,
-which is an aspirational nation. -Mm-hmm.
We were founded on noble ideals.
The ideals that were present
when we wrote the Constitution of the United States
and all of its amendments and the Bill of Rights
and the Declaration of Independence,
and said we are all equal,
and should be treated that way back in 1776.
We are an aspirational nation.
We have always fought to reach those ideals.
Now, let's be clear-eyed.
-We've never quite reached those ideals. -Right.
But part of our strength is we fight to reach those ideals.
And as president of the United States,
I would hold true to keep fighting,
understanding who we can be unburdened who we have been.
But we have to have leadership in this country
that values the integrity of public service
and the value of leadership understanding
that it is not about self-service.
It should be about service of others.
It's about integrity, and it's about the public trust.
We don't have that right now.
(cheering, applause)
Let's talk about your plans.
I mean, one thing I hope, uh...
doesn't happen on the campaign trail
is that the Democratic race becomes only about Trump.
And that was something that was frustrating
in the previous race.
And one thing I think a lot of people are excited to hear about
is your plans.
-Yeah. -One of the things you talk about in the book
and you have laid out is a giant boost for middle-class families
in America, giving them tax cuts
and getting them to where they need to be.
You've also talked about... doing it in a very specific way,
where people would be able to get that money,
uh, smaller increments as opposed to getting
one lump sum at the end of the year,
which more families may appreciate.
What is that about, and how did you come to that?
I'm very excited about it, and if elected, when elected...
-(applause) -um, it would be one of my first orders of business.
And this is, what I am proposing is that we change the tax code
in a way that benefits and lifts up working families
and middle-class families.
So, here is the facts.
Almost half of American families
are a $400 unexpected emergency away
from really being toppled,
in terms of their financial well-being.
Um, the reality in America today
is that 99% of the counties in the United States,
in 99% of those counties, if you're a minimum-wage worker
working full-time, you cannot afford market rate
on a one-bedroom apartment.
These are the realities in America today.
The reality in America today is that we are not starting out
on an even playing field, not everyone has equal access
to a path to success, and so we have to correct course.
I propose we lift up those middle-class working families.
So my specific proposal is that, for families that are making
less than a hundred thousand dollars a year,
they receive a tax credit that they can collect
at $500 a month.
Understanding that is the... that is the difference
between being able to make it
or-or literally facing disruption and real upheaval.
Because we're talking about the unexpected expense
around getting the car repaired.
We're looking at the fact that one in four people in America
who have diabetes cannot afford their insulin.
And so it's the difference between being able
to pay for your medication or not.
And don't get me started on the pharmaceutical companies.
-Oh, we will soon. We will soon. -Yeah. Right.
Um, and it is about also understanding
that we have to lift up the middle and working classes
of this country, and understand that the rules have been written
in a way that it excluded them.
We... He just passed a tax bill
that benefits the top one percent and big corporations.
They don't need that money. They don't need that money.
And-and we have got to correct the course
in a way that understands that working families
are the heart and soul and the strength of our nation,
and we have got to lift them up, and we've got to support them.
And my proposal is actually, by economists,
has been described as what would be
the most significant tax benefit
for middle-class families in generations.
-(applause) -It really has been lauded by many.
Mm-hmm.
Let's...
let's talk not about the pharmaceutical companies per se,
but about... your plans for Americans in a few areas.
You've come out and you've said, "Unlike Bernie Sanders
and Ocasio-Cortez," you said, "Yes, I'm a Democrat,
but I'm not a Democratic-Socialist."
But you-you have come out and said
that you propose Medicare for all.
-Yes. -You've said that you believe that there should be,
uh, debt-free student loans.
You know, people should be able to study without being in debt.
-I do. -You've come out with many proposals that are similar
to what somebody like Bernie Sanders would say,
and then, obviously, many of your own.
What do you think separates you from them, then?
Well, I will say what I feel very strongly.
I feel very strongly that we, um, need to have a system
in this place where everybody has equal access to success.
And we can do that in a way that is about lifting people up.
We can do it in a way that is about recognizing
that all people also want a system
where there's gonna be a fair market
and there is gonna be competition,
but let's not be lulled into believing right now
that everyone has equal access, that we start on the same base,
-Right. -'cause we don't.
And so that's got to be corrected,
and it can be corrected, but it's gonna have to be
about a number of things, including the way
that we tax people
and the way that we are distributing benefits.
Let's look at it from another example,
which is the public education system of our country.
Everybody's not starting out on the same base,
in the same place. And we are a society--
and this is where we have to speak truth also, Trevor--
we are a society that pretends to care about education.
Well, guess what?
Not so much the education of other people's children.
Let's be honest about that.
Because if we did care about that, we would not have allowed
the public education system in America
to deteriorate in the way it has,
because we are not paying teachers their value,
-(applause) -we are not putting resources
into our schools.
I have met more teachers than I care to tell you
who are working two jobs, sometimes three,
to put food on the table,
and because also they're coming out of their own pockets
to buy school supplies for their students.
We are a society that is not paying people
-the value of their labor and of their work. -Right.
And these are the things that have to be adjusted.
You don't have to be a socialist to believe
everyone should have equal opportunities
on a path to success.
Wow. It's...
-(applause) -it's gonna be a crazy journey for you.
It's gonna be exciting.
The book, I really recommend
to anyone who wants to get to know the person behind the name.
And you also have a children's book which is called
Superheroes Are Everywhere.
It's really fun illustrations,
and it's inspirational stories for kids out there.
The Truths We Hold and Superheroes
are available everywhere now.
Senator Kamala Harris, everybody.