Vice President Kamala Harris faced questions about her candidacy at a town hall event at Univision. One voter expressed concern about her being selected without going through the typical primary process. Harris acknowledged the unprecedented way in which she secured the nomination, mentioning President Biden’s support and her honor at earning the Democratic nomination. She pivoted to discussing former President Donald Trump as an anti-democratic threat, citing his comments about potentially stripping away parts of the Constitution.
The town hall event, titled “Noticias Univision Presents: Latinos Ask, Kamala Harris Responds,” featured questions from Hispanic voters who are undecided about their choice in the upcoming election. The program was recorded on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus and included questions in both Spanish and English, with translations provided as needed. Harris offered sympathy to a voter whose noncitizen mother passed away without receiving necessary healthcare, but also demonstrated a tougher stance when asked to name positive things about Trump.
Harris struggled to come up with positive aspects of Trump, mentioning his love for his family as the only thing she could highlight. She redirected the conversation towards her policy positions, emphasizing the detailed plans available on her campaign website. Throughout the Q&A, Harris used familiar talking points on topics like inflation and abortion, as well as highlighting the importance of women’s reproductive rights.
The event was part of Harris’s efforts to shore up support from the Hispanic community, which has seen a decrease in support for Democrats since 2012. A September NBC News/Telemundo poll showed lower levels of Hispanic support for Democrats in comparison to previous elections, with Harris having 54% backing and Trump at 40%. Univision, the Spanish-language network that hosted the event, did not make audience members available to reporters and did not provide a reason for the decision.
Overall, Harris faced questions about the unconventional path to her candidacy and attempted to address concerns from Hispanic voters. She highlighted the importance of supporting her policies and emphasized the threats posed by Trump’s anti-democratic rhetoric. The town hall event provided a platform for Harris to engage directly with voters and make her case for why she should be the Democratic nominee in the upcoming election.
