WIS Exclusive: One-on-one with Vice President Kamala Harris

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Monday Vice President Kamala Harris visited Benedict College, she spoke about major internet infrastructure investments as part of the administration’s ‘Internet for All’ agenda, a $175 million plan to improve high-speed internet services at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

WIS’ Billie Jean Shaw spoke one-on-one with Harris in an exclusive interview. Shaw asked about the 2024 presidential election, the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, and South Carolina becoming the first state to vote in the Democratic presidential primaries.

Harris’ visit is her first since the Democratic party moved South Carolina to the first state to vote in the presidential primaries. The party said the change is meant to empower Black and minority voters and gain momentum in the south with voters on both sides of the political spectrum.

The Palmetto State hasn’t backed a Democratic presidential candidate since 1976.

Harris said, “Folks who have everything at stake, because of the condition and the needs of their family understand that they want to elect and in this case re-elect leaders who will actually get things done.”

“They’re not thinking about it along the lines of being a Democrat or a Republican.”

Her visit comes as President Joe Biden has yet to officially announce he’s seeking re-election. Questions continue to rise if the 80-year-old is too old to continue serving as president. If he serves a full second term he’ll be 86 years old.

Harris said, “As the president has said many times, he intends to run for re-election and I will be running with him if he does.”

“I think that what the American people want is a leader in their president who is bold, who puts first and foremost in their mind American families.”

“And when you look at what our administration has done in just two short years, we have been responsive to the needs of the people that is about bringing down and lowering costs.”

“We need to support leadership like what we’ve seen on the ground in South Carolina and who understand the importance of upholding the integrity of our election system.”

In the last month, on the Republican side of the aisle, former Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump launched their campaigns for president in the Palmetto State.

During Trump’s visit, he again repeated claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

Harris spoke on the war in Ukraine after her recent visit to Munich, Germany. The security conference with world leaders highlighted the more than $70 billion spent by the administration to aid the Ukrainian government against Russia.

Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, marked the one-year anniversary of the start of the war.

The multi-billion dollar expense has been questioned. Harris answered the criticism about the strategy at work to help Ukraine,

”And it really boils down to this, one, the moral interest that we have. The reports and the evidence about awful, awful things that are happening there.”

“A 4-year-old child being sexually abused by a Russian soldier and other things you probably don’t want to talk about during family time on your news station, horrible conduct.”

Harris also touted achievements from the administration on the bipartisan infrastructure law, with billions of dollars going to upgrading roads and bridges across the country.

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Vice President Harris visits Columbia, talks ‘Internet for All’

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