Kaine pushes back on Harris interview criticism: ‘You can’t get into everything in a short interview’

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) pushed back on criticism of Vice President Harris’s interview with CNN last week, suggesting it was difficult to include everything in a short interview.

Fox News’s Shannon Bream pressed Kaine on “Fox News Sunday” about criticism from New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, who wrote that Harris “was vague to the point of vacuous” in her interview with CNN’s Dana Bash last week. Bream asked Kaine whether Harris’s plan for her campaign was to “ride this out on vibes,” noting Harris did not answer during the interview whether her policy positions have changed.

“I think vibes and accomplishments. I remember that first interview that I did with Hillary Clinton,” Kaine said. “We did it, you know, right after the convention or maybe the day before the convention, and it was similar. You can’t get into everything in a short interview. In that case, it was ‘60 Minutes.'”

Stephens wrote in his opinion piece that Harris “struggled to give straight answers to her shifting positions on fracking and border security.” Harris has faced backlash for her stance on fracking, with many accusing her of flip-flopping her position.

Running in the Democratic presidential primary in 2019, Harris said she wanted to ban fracking, but she told CNN in Thursday’s interview she does not want to anymore. Kaine noted on Sunday that the Biden-Harris administration has made investments into alternative energy while also using natural gas to support the U.S. allies.

“But look, on fracking, let’s use that as an example, she took a position in a presidential debate in 2019, but now she’s been part of an administration that is rocketed ahead with alternative energy investments because of the Inflation Reduction Act, but has also used the production of natural gas to backstop our allies who are trying to wean themselves away from relying on Russia,” he said.

“America’s the largest exporter of [liquified natural gas] in the world under the Biden-Harris administration. Fracking’s one of the reasons for it and we’re helping our allies especially in Europe not have to rely on Russia,” he added.