Charlamagne tha God presses Kamala Harris on border crisis: 'Y’all did get a lot of things wrong'

Vice President Kamala Harris faced a series of pointed questions during a high-profile town hall interview with Charlamagne tha God, aimed at addressing key concerns from Black voters. 

The interview aired on iHeartRadio in Detroit and featured questions from listeners, with Harris addressing topics from her stance on reparations to her record on border policies.

Right from the start, Charlamagne addressed criticisms that Harris comes across as "very scripted." 

In response, Harris framed her approach as disciplined, saying, "I would say, 'You're welcome.'" She explained, “There are certain things that must be repeated to ensure that I have everyone know what I stand for and the issues that I think are at stake in this election. And so, it requires repetition.” 

Harris went on to say, “Repetition is important. And for that reason, yes, at my rallies I say the same thing when I go to Detroit as I do in Philly, as I do wherever I am, to make sure that people hear and receive what I think are some of the most critical issues that are at stake in this election.”

Charlamagne then brought up Harris' record as San Francisco District Attorney, challenging reports of her imprisoning Black men for drug charges. 

"One of the biggest allegations against you is that you targeted and locked up thousands of Black men in San Francisco," he said.

Harris responded, "It’s just simply not true. And public defenders who're around those days will tell you I was the most progressive prosecutor in California on marijuana cases and would not send people to jail for simple possession of weed."

The conversation turned to reparations when a caller asked Harris about her stance on the issue. 

She replied, "I am running to be a president for all Americans. That being said, I do have clear eyes about the disparities that exist... on the point of reparations, it has to be studied. There's no question about that."

Charlamagne also pressed Harris on her handling of the border crisis, saying, "Doesn’t the Biden administration have to take some blame for the border? A lot of the blame, because, I mean, the first three years, you did get a lot of things wrong with the border." 

Harris pushed back, explaining, "Within hours of being inaugurated, the first bill we passed... was a bill to fix the broken immigration system, which, by the way, Trump did not fix when he was president."

The interview comes at a critical time, as polls show former President Trump making gains with Black male voters, traditionally strong supporters of the Democratic Party. Harris' appearance on the show is seen as part of an effort to reverse that trend and reinforce her appeal among Black voters.