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Five key questions Kamala Harris should answer during first interview
Kamala Harris will sit down for her first unscripted interview with the media on Thursday—here are five topics Newsweek thinks she will be asked about.
The Vice President will be interviewed by CNN, alongside her running mate Tim Walz, in Georgia, where she is currently on a bus tour. The interview is with CNN’s chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash and will be aired at 9 p.m. ET.
This is a big moment for the Democratic campaign, especially as Harris has long faced criticism for not doing an interview with the media since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her as his replacement.
Harris’ willingness to do an interview with the media will likely be one of the main things she is asked about, along with the economy, the border and immigration, her policies on topics such as fracking and women’s issues and abortion.
Talking to The Media
The last time Harris did anything close to an interview with the media, was on June 24, 2024, when she spoke to MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss how the then-Biden campaign was preparing to go after Republicans on abortion rights. Newsweek has compiled a list of her media appearances since then here.
“This interview is pivotal for Harris precisely because she has been dodging the press for weeks,” Associate Professor of Political Science at London’s UCL School of Public Policy, Thomas Gift told Newsweek.
He said: “It’s a not unreasonable expectation that candidates should make themselves available to the media. The fact that Harris hasn’t raises the stakes of any interview she does give.
“Even after this evening’s joint appearance with Tim Walz, detractors will persist in claiming that Harris should be willing to face tough questions on her own. It’s hard not to think that Harris’s avoidance of the press reflects a lack of confidence in her ability to perform in unscripted settings.”
Some Democratic analysts and talking heads have argued Harris’ lack of interviews or press conferences is part of a specific media strategy.
“The vice president is showing all of us that you don’t need to do high-profile interviews or press conferences in order to get attention from the media or from voters,” Democratic strategist Christy Setzer told The Hill.
The Economy
Multiple polls show that the economy is an important issue for Americans, with 83 percent of respondents to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll saying they believe it is a major factor in this election.
Harris has revealed several of her proposed economic policies, which include raising the level of tax levied on corporations, ending taxes on tipped income and expanding current child tax credit provisions. Newsweek has broken down what she hopes to achieve with her tax policies here.
Earlier this month, Harris told supporters at a campaign rally in North Carolina that she wanted to build an “opportunity economy.”
“Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency because I strongly believe when the middle class is strong, America is strong,” she said.
Harris has also unveiled a plan to offer $25,000 in financial assistance to first-time homebuyers, as well as build 3 million new homes over four years in an effort to curb inflation.
“Vice President Harris knows we need to do more to address our housing crisis and that’s why she has a plan to end the housing shortage” and will crack down on “corporate landlords and Wall Street banks hiking up rents and housing costs,” Dan Kanninen, the campaign’s battleground states director, told the Associated Press.
Critics have doubts about these ideas, with Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary calling them part of “Kamalanomics.”
Harris’ opponent, Donald Trump, at an August 19, 2024, rally in York, Pennsylvania: “She has no clue how’d she paid for $25,000 to every first-time homebuyer, including illegals.”
AP
The Border and Immigration
Immigration is another major issue for American voters, with Republicans often hammering Democrats for what they say is being soft on the border.
RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers previously told Newsweek: “While failed border czar Kamala Harris adopts the Biden Basement strategy to hide from the illegal immigrant invasion created by her radical policies, President Trump will be visiting the southern border again.”
Republicans have branded Harris the “border czar,” despite her never being given that title. Harris was tasked by President Joe Biden with addressing the “root cause” of migration to the U.S. from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, which resulted in Harris securing $4.2 billion in private-sector investments for employment opportunities in Central America.
But Harris is also facing heat from the left, who fear the Democrats shifting to the right with their immigration policies.
She has promised to reintroduce the bipartisan border bill and be tough when it comes to enforcement and she has also said at recent rallies that she wanted to shore up paths to citizenship for immigrants.
Harris will likely be asked about a resurfaced video from October 2019, where she says she would close privately-run immigration detention “on day one.”
Policies in General
Harris will almost certainly be asked to clear up her position on multiple issues in general, especially environmental ones.
When Harris ran for the presidential nomination in 2020, she vowed to ban fracking and back a Green New Deal which would work to shift the U.S. to 100 percent renewable energy.
As video of these comments resurfaced, Harris’ campaign officials confirmed that she would not ban fracking—to The Guardian and several other newspapers.
As vice president, Harris has essentially toed the Biden administration’s line on fracking.
Just a few days ago, Trump wrote on Truth Social that it is “very difficult for her to defend her record-setting Flip-Flopping on absolutely everything she once believed in.”
Women’s Issues and Abortion
Women’s issues and abortion have been major topics in the campaigns running up to the November election, with Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, facing multiple controversies about his resurfaced comments.
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has also set the stage for candidates to focus on abortion, with the Democrats often warning about what a Republican White House could mean for abortion rights.
Harris has consistently supported women’s rights to an abortion and has been an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence throughout her career. Newsweek has laid out where she stands on some key women’s issues here.
Newsweek has contacted Harris and Trump via email for any further comment.
The firing of US Navy Secretary John Phelan is the latest in a shakeup of the American military during the war on Iran, now in its eighth week.
The Pentagon said Phelan would leave office immediately.
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“On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell. “We wish him well in his future endeavours”.
His firing comes at a critical moment, with US naval forces enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports and ships, and maintaining a heavy presence around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas passes during peacetime.
Although the Pentagon gave no official reason for the dismissal, reports indicate the decision was linked to internal disputes, including tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Phelan’s removal is part of a broader pattern of dismissals and restructuring within the US military under President Donald Trump’s administration – including during the current war.
So, who is John Phelan, and what impact could his firing have on US military strategy?
Who is John Phelan?
As the US Navy’s top civilian official, Phelan had various responsibilities, including overseeing recruiting, mobilising and organising, as well as construction and repair of ships and military equipment.
He was appointed in 2024 as a political ally of Trump, despite having no prior military or defence leadership experience.
Before entering government, Phelan was a businessman and investment executive, as well as a major Republican donor and fundraiser — a background that is fairly common among Trump appointees and advisers. The US president’s two top diplomatic negotiators, for instance, are Steve Witkoff — a real estate businessman with no prior diplomatic experience – and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
According to the Reuters news agency, Phelan’s tenure quickly became controversial. He faced criticism for moving too slowly on shipbuilding reforms and for strained relationships with key Pentagon figures, including Hegseth and his deputy, Steve Feinberg.
In addition, Phelan was reportedly under an ethics investigation, which may have weakened his standing in the administration.
Navy Undersecretary Hung Cao, who was also reported to have a difficult relationship with Phelan, has become acting secretary. Fifty-four-year-old Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who previously ran as a Republican candidate for the US Senate and House of Representatives in 2022 and 2024 respectively, but was unsuccessful on both occasions.
Democrats have criticised Phelan’s removal, calling it “troubling”.
“I am concerned it is yet another example of the instability and dysfunction that have come to define the Department of Defense under President Trump and Secretary Hegseth,” said Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Who else has the Trump administration fired since the war with Iran began?
Phelan’s removal is the latest in a series of senior military leaders being fired or are leaving during the US-Israeli war on Iran, in addition to others since Trump was re-elected.
Among the most notable dismissals was Army Chief of Staff General Randy A. George, in the first week of April. George was appointed in 2023 under former US President Joe Biden.
According to reports, Hegseth also fired the head of the Army’s Transformation and Training Command, a unit concerned with modernising the army, and the Army’s chief of chaplains. The Pentagon has not confirmed their dismissal.
Why is Phelan’s dismissal significant?
The 62-year-old’s removal comes during a fragile ceasefire with Iran, as the US continues to move more naval assets into the region.
The Navy is central to enforcing Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports to restrict Iran’s oil exports and apply economic pressure on Tehran, as the US president looks eager to wrap up the war, which is deeply unpopular to many Americans.
However, there are no indications that Trump is willing to end the blockade or other naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, as negotiations between Washington and Tehran have come to a standstill.
Tensions have escalated in recent days after the US military seized an Iranian container ship. The US claimed it was attempting to sail from the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
Tehran responded by describing the attack and hijack as an act of “piracy”.
Iran has since captured two cargo ships and fired at another.
Just two weeks ago, President Trump threatened to wipe out Iran’s civilization if it did not open the Strait of Hormuz. Days later, he said any Iranian “who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”
Yet on Wednesday, after Iran seized two ships near the Strait of Hormuz, the White House was quick to argue the action was not a deal breaker for potential peace negotiations.
“These were not U.S. ships,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said on Fox News. “These were not Israeli ships.” Therefore, she explained, the Iranians had not violated a cease-fire with the United States that Mr. Trump has extended indefinitely.
She cautioned the news media against “blowing this out of proportion.”
The surprisingly tolerant tone from the White House suggests Mr. Trump is not eager to reignite a war that he started alongside Israel on Feb. 28 — a war that has proved unpopular with Americans and has gone on longer than he initially estimated.
The president on Tuesday extended a cease-fire between the United States and Iran that had been set to expire within hours, saying he wanted to give Tehran a chance to come up with a new proposal to end the war.
The American military has displayed its overwhelming might during the war, successfully striking thousands of targets. But it remains unclear whether Mr. Trump will accomplish the political objectives of the war.
The Iranian regime, even after its top leaders were killed, is still intact. Iran has not agreed to Mr. Trump’s demands to turn over its nuclear capabilities to the United States or significantly curtail them. And the Strait of Hormuz, a key passageway for world commerce that was open before the war, remains closed.
Nevertheless, the White House has repeatedly highlighted the military successes on the battlefield as evidence it is winning the war.
“We have completely confused and obliterated their regime,” Ms. Leavitt said on Fox Wednesday. “They are in a very weak position thanks to the actions taken by President Trump and our great United States armed forces, and so we will continue this important mission on our own.”
The oscillation between threats and a more conciliatory tone has long been one of Mr. Trump’s signature negotiating strategies.
Potential peace talks between the two countries are on hold. Vice President JD Vance had been poised to fly to Islamabad for negotiations. But the trip was postponed until Iran can “come up with a unified proposal,” Mr. Trump said.
The United States recently transmitted a written proposal to the Iranians intended to establish base-line points of agreement that could frame more detailed negotiations. The document covers a broad range of issues, but the core sticking points are the same ones that have bedeviled Western negotiators for more than a decade: the scope of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and the fate of its stockpile of enriched uranium.
Mr. Trump has not spoken publicly about the cease-fire, other than on social media. On Wednesday, he also posted about topics including “my Apprentice Juggernaut” — a reference to his former television show; the Virginia elections, which he called “rigged”; and a new book about Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan speaks, as President Trump listens, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 22 in Palm Beach, Fla.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP
WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job, the Pentagon abruptly announced Wednesday, the first head of a military service to depart during President Trump’s second term but just the latest top defense leader to step down or be ousted.
No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy’s top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war. Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House in Virginia.
Phelan’s departure is the latest in a series of shakeups of top leadership at the Pentagon, coming just weeks after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth also has fired several other top generals, admirals and defense leaders since taking office last year.
The firings began in February 2025, when Hegseth removed military leaders, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, and Gen. Jim Slife, the No. 2 leader at the Air Force. Trump also fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Showing how sudden the latest move was, Phelan had addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals on Tuesday at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington and spoke with reporters about his agenda. He also hosted the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee to discuss the Navy’s budget request and efforts to build more ships, according to a social media post from his office.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a post on X that Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately.”
Phelan had been a major Trump donor
Phelan had not served in the military or had a civilian leadership role in the service before Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024. He was seen as an outsider being brought in to shake up the Navy.
Hung Cao speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Matt Rourke/AP
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Phelan was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and had founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, Phelan’s primary exposure to the military came from an advisory position he held on the Spirit of America, a nonprofit that supported the defense of Ukraine and the defense of Taiwan.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach Phelan’s office for comment. The White House did not answer questions and instead responded by sending a link to Parnell’s statement.
Phelan is leaving during a busy time for the Navy. It has three aircraft carriers deployed in or heading to the Middle East, while the Trump administration says all the armed forces are poised to resume combat operations against Iran should the ceasefire expire.
The Navy also has maintained a heavy presence in the Caribbean, where it has been part of a campaign of strikes against alleged drug boats. It also played a major role in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January.
New acting Navy secretary ran unsuccessful bids for Congress
Taking over as acting secretary is Cao, who ran a failed U.S. Senate bid in Virginia to try to unseat Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine in 2024. He had Trump’s endorsement in the crowded Republican primary and gave a speech at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
Cao’s biography includes fleeing Vietnam with his family as a child in the 1970s. In a campaign video for his Senate bid, he compared Vietnam’s communist regime during the Cold War to the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden.
During his one debate with Kaine, Cao criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates for service members as well as the military’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want,” Cao said from the debate stage. “What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”
Trump and Hegseth have railed against DEI in the military, banning the efforts and firing people accused of supporting such programs.
When he ran for Congress in Virginia in 2022, Cao expressed opposition to aid for Ukraine during a debate against his Democratic opponent.
“My heart goes out to the Ukrainian people. … But right now we’re borrowing $55 billion from China to pay for the war in Ukraine. Not only that, we’re depleting our national strategic reserves,” Cao said.
Cao graduated from the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, before attending the U.S. Naval Academy.
He was commissioned as a special operations officer and went on to serve with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia before retiring at the rank of captain, according to his Senate campaign biography.
Cao also earned a master’s degree in physics and had fellowships at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University.
Since becoming Navy undersecretary, Cao has championed returning to duty service members that refused a Biden-era mandate to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
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