Harris pledges marijuana reform, defends record in Charlamagne interview
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Harris pledges marijuana reform, defends record in Charlamagne interview
DETROIT (Reuters) - US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris defended her record as a prosecutor, pledged to decriminalize marijuana and push for police reform as she aimed to shore up support among Black men in an interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God on Tuesday.
Charlamagne, a Black comedian and author who hosts radio program "The Breakfast Club," is known for his blunt interviews of celebrities.
Although he is a Harris supporter, he has been critical of her and President Joe Biden in the past and called Democrats "cowards" for ineffectively prosecuting a case against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In one of his first questions he asked Harris to address a rumor that she disproportionately locked up Black men over her more than a dozen years as San Francisco's district attorney.
"It's just simply not true," Harris said, adding she was described as "one of the most progressive prosecutors" on marijuana cases. She said as president she would work to decriminalize marijuana because she knew how the laws have hurt certain populations, especially Black men.
Some polls show that fewer Black men support Harris than they did Biden in the 2020 election.
Her campaign and allies including Barack Obama are working to win them back in Michigan and other battleground states that will be decided by a thin margin.
