Takeaways From Harris' 60 Minutes Interview

Kamala Harris sat for a 60 Minutes interview that aired Monday night, while Donald Trump earlier decided to skip. Some highlights from various outlets:

• Her gun: Harris offered more details about being a gun owner, which she has brought up to refute claims that Democrats want to take people's guns. "I have a Glock, and I've had it for quite some time," she told Bill Whitaker, per USA Today. "And—I mean, look, Bill, my background is in law enforcement." She said that she had "of course" fired it, at a shooting range.
• Trump: She slammed the former president for opting out of his own interview. "If he is not going to give your viewers the ability to have a meaningful, thoughtful conversation, question-and-answer with you, then watch his rallies," Harris said, per CBS News. "You're going to hear conversations that are about himself and all of his personal grievances."

• 'Real world' economics: Pressed on how she would pay for her economic policies, including a $6,000 child tax credit, she pushed back on the suggestion they would not pass Congress in the "real world," adding, "When you talk quietly with a lot of folks in Congress, they know exactly what I'm talking about." The New York Times notes that this ignores "a reality she has encountered" as VP—that private talks don't always lead to actual legislation.
• Putin, world: She said she would not meet with Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. "Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. He talks about, 'Oh, he can end it on Day 1.' You know what that is. It's about surrender." She also named Iran as America's biggest adversary. On Israel, she deflected a question on whether the US lacked influence over Benjamin Netanyahu, per the Washington Post. "I think, with all due respect, the better question is, do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people," Harris said. "And the answer to that question is yes."

• Immigration: When Whitaker asked her whether the "historic flood" of immigrants under the current administration was a result of flawed policies, she responded, "It's a longstanding problem. And solutions are at hand. And from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions." She blamed Trump for derailing a border security bill. "We need Congress to be able to act to actually fix the problem."
• Tim Walz: In his own interview, running mate Walz said Harris told him to choose his words more carefully in regard to false claims that have come to light, per CNN. "She said, 'Tim, you know, you need to be a little more careful on how you say things,' whatever it might be." He said misstatements about his military record and about being in Hong Kong during the Tiananmen Square unrest stemmed from "expressing emotion, telling a story, getting a date wrong," and not being "a pathological liar like Donald Trump."

(More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.)