CNN host clashes with Trump campaign rep over VP Harris' record
CNN host John Berman pressed Trump 2024 campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt over Vice President Harris being perceived as the "change" candidate in this election.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt got into another fiery clash with a CNN host on Thursday ahead of the network's interview with Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Leavitt battled CNN anchor John Berman over whether voters should see Harris as the "change" candidate.
A new Fox News poll of four battleground states in the Sun Belt showed that voters put Harris on par with former President Trump for "bringing needed change" (49% Harris, 48% Trump), despite Harris being the incumbent vice president.
"How do you explain now, that Vice President Harris is seen as perhaps the candidate of change?" Berman asked, referencing the poll, at the start of the interview.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
"It is our goal over the next several weeks ahead of Election Day to ensure that voters understand Kamala Harris is not the candidate of change, nor is she the candidate of the future," the Trump 2024 national press secretary responded. "Kamala Harris is the vice president of the United States right now. And she is wholly responsible for the failures over the past four years."
Leavitt said that Harris had promoted President Biden's economic strategy, "which has ushered the worst inflation crisis in a generation" and had overseen Biden's open border policy as "border czar."
"Harris does not deserve a promotion. She deserves a demotion," she continued.
The CNN host denied that Harris was the border czar before again floating the idea that voters see Harris as the candidate of "change."
"Does it tell you that maybe they are beginning to see a Republican nominee who’s 78-years-old and been running for president for nine years? Is that beginning to have an impact?" he asked.
"This race is not about age. It‘s about competence," Leavitt said.
BORDER RESIDENTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST KAMALA HARRIS' RECORD ON SECURITY: ‘EVERYTHING IS LITERALLY OPEN’
This combination of photos taken at campaign rallies in Atlanta shows Vice President Kamala Harris on July 30, 2024, left, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump on Aug. 3. (AP Photos)
The two also sparred over whether voters cared more about Trump's social media habits or Harris' record.
Berman asked Leavitt about political memes Trump had reposted to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday with one suggesting the Harris "had traded sexual favors to help her political career," the New York Times reported.
"Why was Donald Trump over the last 36 hours on his social media, reposting slogans from QAnon and reposting misogynistic, sexist content about Vice President Harris?" he pressed Leavitt.
She dismissed the question, saying voters care more about illegal immigration and gas prices surging under Biden.
"Well, look, I don’t think your viewers at home are concerned about social media posts," she responded. "I think they are concerned with the news of the day and the news of the day is that a Venezuelan illegal immigrant crime gang has taken over a hotel in rural Colorado because of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s open border policies. The news of the day is that, again, gasoline prices are 50% higher today than they were under Donald Trump."
Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang have overtaken an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for 'protection.' (Edward Romero)
Things got more testy between Berman and Leavitt as he continued to press her about the memes.
"Do you know why he reposted that content?" he asked.
"I haven’t been able to talk to President Trump yet this morning because he is calling in to media interviews. Unlike Kamala Harris, who has been avoiding the press for more than 40 days," she replied.
Harris is slated to do her first sit-down interview since emerging as the Democratic presidential nominee with CNN's Dana Bash on Thursday evening.
The vice president was fiercely mocked by critics on social media for bringing Walz to the interview with the friendly network after avoiding the press for over a month.
"We’re excited that CNN finally has the opportunity to question Kamala Harris tonight about her disastrous record. And we hope that Dana Bash, and we’re confident that she will, will ask tough questions of Kamala Harris’s record," the Trump spokeswoman said.
Trump Campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sparred with CNN anchor John Berman over Vice President Harris' record and the former president's social media posts. (CNN/Screenshot)
"Because, again, Americans aren't concerned with social media posts and silly memes. They are concerned with the problems that are plaguing them in their families right now. And they need and deserve answers to the questions of Kamala Harris," she continued before giving a laundry list of far-left policies Harris has backed away from since her 2019 presidential campaign.
After Berman continued to push Leavitt on whether the posts were demeaning to women, she named girls and women who were killed by illegal immigrants to show the real harm caused by the Biden administration's open-border policies.
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"I think what’s demeaning to women is the fact that Kamala Harris and Joe Biden are allowing an invasion of illegal criminals into our country, many of whom have proven to be rapists and murderers. I think what’s demeaning to women like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungara and Rachel Morin is the fact that they are no longer with us because of the policies of this administration, and that is what voters and your viewers care about, John," Leavitt responded.
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