Vice President Harris sat down with Wired for an interview as part of the magazine’s YouTube series, where she outlined her campaign’s priorities and weighed in on Taylor Swift’s endorsement.
Harris’s participation this week in Wired’s video series, in which celebrities answer “The Web’s Most Searched Questions,” came as she has faced scrutiny for her lack of interviews with traditional media. Her campaign has said she will find ways to reach voters through other means.
For Harris, that meant answering questions about where she grew up, where she went to college, her laugh, gun ownership and her debate earlier this month with former President Trump.
“That was quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the debate,” Harris said with a smile. “I think it’s very important for us to, in our democracy, create an opportunity for civil debate and disagreement about ideas and about policies. I think the debate showed we have two very different visions for our country.”
Harris repeatedly needled Trump and sought to get him off-topic during the debate by mocking his rallies, swiping at his fortune and attacking him over his standing among foreign leaders.
A New York Times/Siena College poll showed voters thought Harris fared better in the Sept. 10 debate than Trump did. But it has not led to a clear bump in the polls, particularly in battleground states.
The vice president also offered her most extensive comments to date on Swift’s endorsement, which could boost engagement among young voters in particular.
“I am very proud to have the support of Taylor Swift. She’s an incredible artist. I really respect the courage that she has had in her career to stand up for what she believes is right,” Harris said.
“But we were on different sides of the Super Bowl last year. I am a 49ers fan. But who’s mad at anyone for being loyal to their team, right?” she added, a nod to Swift’s high-profile relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Harris also spoke about her laugh, which Trump has mocked as the “laugh of a crazy person.”
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“I love to laugh,” Harris told Wired. “Really important to be able to laugh at yourself, laugh with folks, and there are obviously moments that require serious thought and serious approaches, but I hope that everybody has a moment to laugh from time to time.”
Harris responded to one question about whether she could beat Trump in November.
“Yes. Absolutely,” said Harris, who has framed herself as the underdog in the race. “I think what’s really important is to know what you stand for. And then you know what you fight for.”