Hillary Clinton claimed Vice President Kamala Harris faced a "double standard" by being expected to explain her policy positions.
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee made her remarks during a recent appearance on the On with Kara Swisher podcast. During the podcast, Clinton claimed Harris did not "have to" share her policy positions with voters.
“She does not have to do it, Kara. I’m going to just cut to the chase,” Clinton said. “In fact, she’s put out policies on her campaign website. Anybody who’s truly interested can go and read about them. She referenced policies.”
“She actually doesn’t just have policies and concepts. She has plans about what to do,” Clinton said, though Harris' policy platform did not divulge specific details on many issues. “It’s a double standard and it’s a double standard that is partly because they are still getting to know her.” Former politician @HillaryClinton: "It’s a double standard" to ask Kamala Harris about her policies pic.twitter.com/U1lQoN3rTE
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 18, 2024
Clinton went on to claim voters concerned about Harris' policies may also be averse to electing a woman to higher office.
“But also because they’re still grappling with the idea like, ‘Oh, am I really going to vote for a woman to be president and commander in chief?'” she continued. “This is particularly true, let’s just say it and underline it, about white women [voters].”
Clinton's remarks faced backlash on social media.
"This has nothing to do with whether she’s a woman or not. She is the most unqualified candidate ever to run for the presidency of the United States," wrote one user.
"So now it's a double standard if you ask Harris about her policies," wrote another user. "Part of the Presidential Election process, is talking about the policies and laws, it helps the voter decide the best candidate to vote for."
Harris' campaign faced significant criticism for lacking a readily available policy platform for weeks after becoming the Democratic nominee. However, in recent weeks, Harris' campaign has added an "issues" section listing several policies she supports which include: "Cut taxes for middle class families," "Make rent more affordable and home ownership more attainable," and "Grow small business and invest in entrepreneurs."
Critics have found several of Harris' policies questionable, including a price-control measure which claims to tackle price gouging. Harris also has proposed expanding the Affordable Care Act along with implementing a capital gains tax.
Editor's Note: The headline of this article was slightly altered for the sake of specificity
