Kamala Harris Says 'Democracy' Is the Biggest National Security Threat Facing the U.S.
Vice President Kamala Harris has said that democracy was the most significant national security threat facing the country.
During an interview on CBS News' "Face The Nation" aired on Sunday, Harris was asked what she sees as the biggest national security challenge confronting the nation and the one thing that keeps her up at night.
The vice president said, "one of them is our democracy."
"There is I think no question in the minds of people who are foreign policy experts that the year 2021 is not the year 2000... I think there's so much about foreign and domestic policy that, for example, was guided and prioritized based on September 11, 2001," Harris noted.
The vice president said the country is entering a new era where the threats to the nation have many forms, including the "threat of autocracies taking over," and having a huge influence around the world, Newsmax reported.
She noted how human rights violations multiplied, and corruption undermined progress. She added that misinformation is deflating public confidence.
Harris said she believes that they must strengthen the U.S.' relationship with its allies and partners around the world, adding that pulling out of those relationships weakens security.
She then adjusted her statement, saying that there is an urgent need to "fight for the integrity of our democracy," according to Daily Mail. She added that fighting for the integrity of democracy is needed when addressing the climate crisis.
Kamala Harris explained that global warming is connected to global security as it represents that the U.S. and its allies have the best chance of overcoming it if they work together.
The vice president also lauded President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from Kabul after a 20-year occupation.
Kamala Harris on Kabul Withdrawal
Joe Biden and his administration's top officials have been continuously scrutinized for the Kabul withdrawal that left as many as 200 American citizens and thousands of Afghan allies of the U.S. military behind.
Biden earlier promised that U.S. forces would remain until every American was out. When asked if she feels any responsibility for the operation, Kamala Harris did not give a clear answer. She noted that she was the "last person in the room" when Biden made the call.
However, Harris said she does not regret following through with the deal that was negotiated by the previous administration, claiming that any action other than the one taken could have resulted in a greater conflict.
She believed that if the U.S. had broken the previous agreement, the country would be talking about a war in Afghanistan.
Joe Biden on Donald Trump Deal With the Taliban
Joe Biden has also taken note of the said agreement former President Donald Trump made with the Taliban, The New York Post reported.
The president said he "inherited" the Trump deal negotiated with the Taliban, which noted the U.S. leaving Afghanistan by May 1 as going past the date would have been no cease-fire to protect U.S. forces.
The Biden administration recently said it wanted to expand the flow of aid to humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan.
Kamala Harris said she worries that the Taliban has not complied with what they know to be the appropriate treatment for girls and women.
Meanwhile, the vice president has also been facing her own series of scrutiny regarding handling border issues and how she manages her office.
Kamala Harris was asked if the criticisms arose because she is the first black and the first woman to serve as vice president, wherein she answered that there were a lot of "big issues" that needed to be addressed.
She noted that it has been a part of her career and that the issues are now different.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Mary Webber
WATCH: Full Interview: Vice President Kamala Harris on 'Face the Nation' - From Face The Nation
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