Vice President Kamala Harris responded Sunday to former President Donald Trump calling her a “s—” vice president, telling Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC that “the American people deserve so much better.”
She went on to talk about the importance of the president setting a standard not only nationally but also internationally. She said Trump’s behavior “demeans the office.”
Her comments come a day after Trump railed against Harris at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh.
From the rally stage, the former president unleashed his usual insults against Harris, but added to the crowd: “You need to tell Kamala Harris that you’ve had enough, that you just can’t take it anymore. “We can’t stand you, you’re a vice president. Worst vice president. Kamala, you’re fired. ”
“Donald Trump should never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States. He didn’t earn the right. He hasn’t earned the right and that’s why he’s going to lose,” Harris told Sharpton on Sunday.
Harris was also asked during the interview about the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who was behind the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel, when about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 others taken hostage into Gaza. Harris reiterated her position that the war must end and hostages released, while also condemning the number of Palestinians killed.
“The number of innocent Palestinians murdered in Gaza is truly unconscionable,” Harris said. “And we have to be honest about that, and at the same time – listen, I will always stand for Israel’s right to defend itself, and we have to end this war.”
She recently condemned the “suffering of many innocent Palestinians” as “unconscionable.” According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began.
The war has proven to be a breaking point for progressives, some of whom are reluctant to support it.
Separately, MSNBC asked Harris whether she views the backlash from some men supporting her as misogynistic, as well as her campaign’s lower support among black men than previous Democrats have received. Polls show a large gender gap when it comes to whether voters support Harris or Trump.
Harris said she must “earn the voice of everyone, regardless of race or gender.”
“What can be frustrating at times is having journalists ask me this question as if you would have to assume that I could just take the voices of black men for granted,” she said. “I think that’s actually an uninformed perspective because why should black men be any different than any other demographic group of voters? They expect you to earn their vote.”
The Harris campaign has increased its reach to Black men in the latter part of the campaign, unveiling an “Opportunity Agenda for Black Men” and making multiple media appearances at outlets with large Black audiences.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
