Vice President Kamala Harris’ first in-studio network interview as the nation’s second-in-command was briefly derailed on Friday after two co-hosts on ABC’s “The View” tested positive for COVID-19 just before Harris was set to appear on the show. 

What You Need To Know

  • Vice President Kamala Harris' Friday appearance on ABC's "The View" was briefly delayed after two co-hosts tested positive for COVID-19

  • A White House official confirmed that the vice president "had no contact with hosts prior to the show"

  • Harris was asked about a number of hot-button topics during the interview, ranging from the administration's response to COVID-19 to how to deal with the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border

  • The vice president also announced a $1.2 billion investment in broadband access that will impact around 3 million school children nationwide 

 

Co-hosts Joy Behar and Sara Haines returned from a commercial break mid-show to reveal that fellow hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro both tested positive for COVID-19 despite both being vaccinated against the disease.

Harris, who was originally slated to appear on-set Friday morning, was interviewed via “remote, because they don't want to take a chance of her being on set,” Behar said, adding it’s “very important we keep her healthy and safe.”

A White House official confirmed that the vice president "had no contact with hosts prior to the show."

“Sunny and Ana are strong women and I know they're fine, but it really does speak to the fact they're vaccinated and vaccines really make all the difference, because otherwise we'd be concerned about hospitalization and worse,” Harris said upon joining the show via video chat. 

Harris was asked about a number of hot-button topics during the interview, starting with the coronavirus pandemic and President Joe Biden’s recent mandate that all businesses with over 100 employees vaccinate their workforce, or require employees to submit to weekly testing. 

When asked if the administration is considering even more drastic actions to up the rate of vaccinations nationwide, Harris demurred, and encouraged Americans to make the personal choice to get vaccinated. 

“I've been watching, like many of you, with heartache, the videos of people who are in an ICU bed, who did not get vaccinated, pleading with their family members to please get vaccinated,” Harris said, adding: “Don't put your families through that. The vaccine is free, it's safe, it will save your life. So, folks just need to get vaccinated.”

Harris, who was tasked by President Biden to lead the administration’s efforts to address the root causes of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, was asked Friday about her thoughts on the recent images and videos that surfaced which showed U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback appearing to use whips against migrants attempting to cross into tEXAS. 

Biden himself has decried the images as “dangerous” and “an embarrassment” to the country, and the Department of Homeland Security is conducting an investigation into the incident that is expected to be completed by next week. 

Harris on Friday said she was “outraged” by the “horrible” and “deeply troubling” images, saying she agreed with the need for an investigation and subsequent consequences for all those involved. 

“Human beings should not be treated that way, and it also invoked images of spme of the worst moments of our history, where that kind of behavior has been used against the indigenous people of our country, has been used against African-Americans during times of slavery, and so I'm glad that the Department of Homeland Security is taking it very seriously,” she added.

Harris would not commit to halting all deportations of Haitians arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, an issue that has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans alike in recent weeks. 

On the one hand, Democrats have urged the White House to end its continued implementation of Title 42 expulsions, a pandemic-era authority that allows U.S. officials to immediately return migrants to their previous country of transit due to health concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

Republicans, however, maintain that the administration has allowed more Haitians into the country than has been reported thus far, and have repeatedly requested more up-to-date numbers from the administration, to little avail.

The vice president on Friday said the United States must “do more in supporting Haitians who are returning to the island,” including by helping the nation recover from a series of natural disasters in recent years. Harris also stressed that the government gave Temporary Protected Status to nearly 100,000 Haitians and will continue to support reunification efforts with recipients and their families. 

The TPS designation was given only to Haitians who arrived in the U.S. before July 29.

“They need support and protection, including reunification with those who have family members in the United States,” Harris said in part, adding: “That was intended to benefit people who are fleeing home and reunite them with their family.”

While Harris’ time on the show was cut short, the vice president did announce a $1.2 billion investment in broadband access that will impact around 3 million school children nationwide. 

“What we know is that during the pandemic our kids lost valuable homework and school time,” Harris said. “We must make sure all kids have the opportunity to succeed.”

It was not immediately clear how the funds would be distributed. Spectrum News has reached out to the White House for comment.