Vice President Harris on Thursday worked to court Latino voters with a town hall hosted by Univision, an American Spanish-language network, fielding questions on immigration, the economy, and reproductive rights.
She made her case to voters in Las Vegas, Nev., showing her focus on the critical voting bloc that she is struggling with compared to other Democrats in recent cycles.
Harris vowed, if she’s elected, to focus on fixing the pathway to citizenship for hardworking people while securing the border, calling it a “false choice” to think elected officials can only achieve one or the other. When questioned about what she would do to protect Dreamers under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Harris reiterated that one of her priorities is providing pathways to citizenship.
Harris also blamed former President Trump for his hand in tanking a border proposal negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators when questioned about whether she would do anything differently as president, compared to President Biden, to secure the U.S. border.
Harris also addressed questions and disinformation surrounding the federal government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the Southeast.
“This is not a time for people to play politics,” she said, speaking on the disinformation around the hurricanes. “People are playing political games suggesting that resources and support is only going to people based on a political agenda.”
Harris is leading Trump nationally among Latino voters, 54 percent compared to Trump’s 40 percent, with about six percent saying they aren’t sure or don’t plan on voting, an NBC News, Telemundo and CNBC poll last month found.
The margin by which she is ahead with Latinos is lower than other recent Democratic nominees have had. Her 14-point advantage is far lower than President Biden’s 36-point lead among Latinos against Trump in 2020. But support among Latino and Hispanic voters varies from state to state.
According to a Telemundo poll released earlier this week, Harris leads Trump with Latino voters in California 55 percent to 33 percent. However, a Mason Dixon poll out of Florida released earlier this month shows Trump leading by seven points among Florida Hispanics.
Trump’s town hall with Univision will air on Oct. 16. Additionally, Trump has made other plays toward the Hispanic and Latino voting bloc. Trump is slated to hold a rally in Reno, Nev., on Friday and will travel to Indio, Calif., to hold a rally on Saturday. While California is not a battleground state, the visit is seen as an effort to appeal to Hispanic and Latino voters in the West.
When asked about her plan to address the economy and the high cost of living, Harris referred to herself as “a capitalist” when talking about “the strength of the private sector.” She invoked a personal story as a former caregiver for her late mother in an effort to appeal to voters known as “the sandwich generation,” or people caring for children and elderly parents.
She outlined her most recent plan, which is to expand Medicare to include in-home care to help the “sandwich generation.” She also outlined her other plans, including providing support for first-time homeowners, expanding the child tax credit to include relief for the first year of a child’s life, and extending tax credits for entrepreneurs.
“All of this is about building opportunity for people, particularly the middle class,” she said.
Harris was asked by one voter for “three virtues” Trump has and responded, “I think Donald Trump loves his family and I think that’s very important. I think family is one of the most important things we can prioritize. I don’t really know him to be honest with you, I only met him one time on the debate stage.”
Other voters told very personal stories, including a woman who said she lost her mother recently, a man who said he had to go to Mexico to get a surgery and a woman who said she was homeless due to medical debt. A woman, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, asked Harris about what she would do to protect abortion access.
A man, who is originally from Uruguay, said he was undecided but inclined to vote for Trump because of how Harris became the candidate because President Biden passed the torch to her. He questioned Harris, saying, “How can you clarify this whole process and how you were elected?”
“I am honored to have earned the Democratic nomination,” Harris responded.
She also suggested Trump is looking to be a dictator, noting journalist Bob Woodward’s report that he sent COVID-19 tests to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020. Harris earlier this week slammed Trump over the report, which the former president’s campaign has denied, arguing it’s another example of who Trump is.
