US Correspondent Logan Church spoke exclusively to former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern at the Democratic convention in Chicago.
It was like the Jacindamania of 2017.
Remember the crowds of people demanding selfies? The rock-star status of Andrew Little’s replacement? Well, that was Jacinda Ardern today at the Democratic National Convention.
The former New Zealand prime minister arrived in Chicago to speak at a panel discussion at the convention.
Judging by the non-stop stream of people wanting a picture with her, she was clearly the star guest.
The former prime minister is attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, US Correspondent Logan Church reports. (Source: 1News)
Watch the full interview with Jacinda Ardern on TVNZ+
In her speech, she spoke with Patrick Gaspard, the head of the Center for American Progress Action, about her own rise to power, that in some ways mirrors the recent accession of Kamala Harris.
No one will know what it feels like to be Kamala Harris right now but her, Ardern said.
“But what I do know from my own relatively small experience from a country of five million people, that seven weeks out from an election in 2017 I was deputy leader of the New Zealand Labour party, we were the opposition, and my boss came into work one day and he quit.
"And then he nominated me to run in the election seven weeks later."
'Hard to shift the dial'
She told the American crowd that when took over her party leadership she wanted to “play the ball, not the man” - a not-so-subtle reference to the personal attacks prevalent in modern American politics.
“It means we are going to play the game based on ideas, not based on personality and attacking one another. We wanted to do politics differently and I think people are wanting that kind of change – that is a hard dial to shift though.”
In her address, she did not mention any American politicians or parties by name, but it’s hard not to interpret her attendance at the DNC as a public nod of support for Harris. She didn’t attend the RNC.
So, I asked her that directly in an exclusive interview afterwards.
“Obviously for the American election, the most important opinion and support that Kamala Harris needs, is of course from the American public,” she said.
“But if you’re asking me as a progressive if I support Kamala Harris – absolutely.”
She had met Harris several times, she said.
“I’ve always found her to be incredibly thoughtful, engaged, well-versed on foreign issues...and [with] a real support for New Zealand and the New Zealand public.”
The most obvious question someone might have is why should anyone in America care what a former prime minister of New Zealand thinks?
Well, many Americans do care what she thinks.
While her legacy in New Zealand is controversial depending who you talk with, when I speak to Americans, they usually associate our country with two things – the Lord of the Rings and Jacinda Ardern.
She is regularly praised here as a successful global leader.
1News understands she spent much of the rest of the day meeting other Democrat heavyweights like Michigan Governor Gretchin Whitmer, and is expected to attend an event hosted by JB Pritzker the Governor of Illinois, the state where this convention is being held.
She will be also attending the convention arena itself tonight.
Ardern is likely one of the first former Kiwi heads of government to attend one of these events.
And her presence has been noted.
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