NBC Bay Area's Raj Mathai sat down for an exclusive interview with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris to talk about the massive wildfires, the upcoming election and more.
Harris -- an Oakland native and current California senator -- was nominated for vice president by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Aug. 11. She is the first Black and Indian-American woman to be a vice presidential candidate.
Harris, whose brother-in-law is a California firefighter, spoke about the wildfires ravaging the region.
“I was there in Paradise, when Paradise burned,” Harris said. “I just feel an incredible amount of concern and of course what we need to do is to give the families, give the firefighters and first responders as much assistance and help as possible.”
She when on to say that in the midst of disaster is not the time for photo ops.
“Nobody should be playing political games with this,” she said. “The reality is, what Californians, especially those that are losing their homes and people who have family members who have lost their lives, they don’t have any time for photo ops and political games. This needs to be about getting people the resources they need on the ground as quickly as possible.”
When asked about her plan if President Trump contests the election, Harris seemed confident that that wouldn't fly with voters.
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“Well, the American people won’t allow that to happen, and what we want to do right now is to make sure that everyone votes and they vote early. In California we can do that, so let’s make sure that if you’re going to mail in your ballot that you do it early… Your voice on these issues is expressed through your vote, so please do vote.”
Here's a look at her ties to the Bay Area and how some people reacted to the historic selection.
