Kamala Harris talks assault-weapons ban and tax relief in Pennsylvania stop

Kamala Harris, in an interview with Brian Taff of Philadelphia’s 6abc Action News, re-emphasized many of the points she made in Tuesday’s debate and throughout her brief campaign, including her stance on guns.

In the 11-minute interview aired by the ABC affiliate on Friday, the Democratic nominee for president spoke about gun control, unity among Americans and her goal of creating an “opportunity economy”.

“Most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans and not somehow who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point fingers at each other,” Harris said in response to a question about how she would reach out to Trump voters. “I think people are exhausted with that approach.”

The interview’s airing came as Donald Trump visited Harris’s home state of California, where he had a news conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, a coastal city about 30 miles south-west of Los Angeles. Later in the day, Trump travelled north for a fundraiser hosted by Tom Siebel, the billionaire cousin of Jennifer Siebel-Newsom, wife of California governor Gavin Newsom.

She also reiterated that she and Walz are gun owners and believe that they can respect the second amendment while pushing for and implementing long-asked-for policies like a ban on so-called assault weapons and universal background checks on gun purchases. “We are not taking anybody’s guns away,” she said.

“I feel very strongly that it’s consistent with the second amendment to say we need an assault weapons ban. They’re literally tools of war they were literally designed to kill a lot of people quickly.”

Related: 2024 US presidential polls tracker: Trump v Harris latest national averages

Harris also promoted her economic plan, which she says is heavily based on her middle class upbringing. “We have ambitions and aspirations, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that help them fuel the aspirations and ambitions,” she said. Harris says that if elected, she will expand the child tax credit and offer parents $6,000 for the first year of their child’s life, raise the tax break for small businesses from $5,000 to $50,000 and give first-time homebuyers $25,000 in assistance.

While in Pennsylvania, a state that has gotten a lot of attention from both candidates, Harris held a rally in Wilkes-Barre, 20 miles away from Scranton, Joe Biden’s hometown. Pennsylvania is a tight race for Harris and Trump, as 538’s presidential polling average shows less than a percentage point between the two as of Friday afternoon.

Harris also paid a visit to cafe and bookshop Classic Elements, where she told reporters: “I am feeling very good about Pennsylvania, because there are a lot of people in Pennsylvania who deserve to be seen and heard.”

During Friday evening’s rally, Harris was interrupted at least three times by protestors, including people speaking out about the war in Gaza. Harris also announced a new policy that would do away with college degree requirements for some federal jobs.

“As president, I will get rid of the unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs and increase jobs for folks without a four-year degree, understanding that requiring a certain degree does not necessarily talk about one’s skills,” she told the crowd.