Vice President Kamala Harris said political candidates should have to ‘earn’ support from voters, despite previous criticism for becoming the Democratic presidential nominee without having to run in any primary election in 2024.
Harris was asked about why voters still have reservations about her during a ’60 Minutes’ interview that aired Monday night.
‘A quarter of registered voters still say they don’t know you, they don’t know what makes you tick,’ ’60 Minutes,’ journalist Bill Whitaker asked during a sitdown interview. ‘Why do you think that is? What’s the disconnect?’
‘It’s an election Bill, and I take it seriously that I have to earn everyone’s vote,’ Harris replied. ‘This is an election for President of the United States. No one should be able to take for granted that they can just declare themselves a candidate and automatically receive support.’
‘You have to earn it and that’s what I intend to do,’ she added.
The Democratic Party has been accused by critics of anointing Harris as the party’s nominee after Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid following his first debate against former President Trump.
Many Republicans and groups like Black Lives Matter accused the Democratic Party of installing Harris as its nominee and sidestepping the voting process. The Democratic Party coalesced around her, winning enough delegate support to secure the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August.
In response to the criticism, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the party’s presidential nominating process was ‘open,’ and Harris ‘won it,’ despite the absence of any such contest.