Colorado governor pushes back on reports Harris changed policy positions

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) on Sunday pushed back on criticism that Vice President Harris has changed her stance on several policy issues and is not doing enough interviews to explain the changes, arguing that she will be a president “for all the American people.”

“The truth of the matter is, yes, she’s come to the middle. She’s pragmatic, she’s a tough leader, she’s the leader we need for the future,” Polis said on “Fox News Sunday.” “So again, while she may have in the past ran on things, just as President Trump ran on single-payer — supported single-payer health care years ago and has moved away from that — Kamala Harris did support things that she’s now moderated.”

Since replacing President Biden atop the Democratic presidential ticket, some Republicans have accused Harris of backing away from taking strong stances on some policy issues she held during her 2020 presidential campaign.

Polis, whose name was once floated as a potential running mate for Harris, argued the vice president is attempting to meet the majority of Americans’ priorities.

“She’s going to be a president for all the American people,” he said. “Look, whether you’re conservative, whether you’re moderate, whether you’re liberal, I think you’re going to see a lot of your priorities reflected in President Harris, who’s really just out for the people, as she said, fighting to make housing more affordable, improve our schools, make education more affordable and strengthen the jobs market.”

Some Republicans have criticized Harris for not clearly laying out her policy plans or conducting many press interviews to allow reporters to ask about them.

The Democratic nominee has yet to sit down for a wide-ranging media interview or address tough questions at a press conference about her past support for “Medicare for All,” the Green New Deal and a fracking ban, three high-profile issues from which she has since backed away.

Polis said he is sure she will conduct “a lot more interviews in the future,” and pointed to Harris’s slated debate on Sept. 10 against former President Trump.

“She’s already taking questions at a number of different venues as she’s moving in and out,” he said.