VP Kamala Harris Responds to Trump’s Comments and Discusses Mental Health and Marijuana in Podcast

October 1 :
With the help of former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Vice President Kamala Harris discussed her views on mental health, legalizing marijuana, and Donald Trump's remarks about her racial identity in a podcast that went live on September 30.

Their podcast, "All the Smoke," featured an interview with Harris at her Washington, DC, home. Harris is running for president and is trying to win over more males, particularly Black men, who are leaning toward Trump's Republican opponent.A Reuters/Ipsos study conducted between August 21 and August 28 found that 41% of men would choose Harris in an immediate election, while 47% would support Trump. Approximately 63% of Black males voted for Harris.

Barnes appeared to suggest that Trump was perplexed by Harris' racial identification when he inquired about her feelings around "people questioning the fabric of who you are." The mother of Harris's family is Indian, while her father is Jamaican.
"I’m really clear about who I am and if anybody else is not, they need to go through their own level of therapy, that’s not my issue," according to her.

By pointing out the disproportionate effect of marijuana prohibition on Black people, Harris restated a position she had held prior to became the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in July: that cannabis should be decriminalized. "We know historically what that has meant and who has gone to jail." Harris also addressed the stigmas associated with obtaining mental health treatment, saying that she takes care of herself by exercising regularly, preparing healthy meals, and avoiding social media comment sections.

"I think the mental health issue is probably one of the biggest public policy failures in our country," according to her. "We have acted as though the body starts from the neck down, instead of understanding we need healthcare also from the neck up."
After Joe Biden backed her as the Democratic nominee and resigned out of the run for president, Harris claimed she had problems sleeping due to the rapid pace of events. She recounted an incident in which she began preparing breakfast before anyone was even up. "I just went out and got a pork roast and started marinating it."