Kamala Fumbles Softball Question During ‘The View’ Interview
In an appearance on ‘The View,’ Vice President Kamala Harris raised eyebrows with her response to what seemed like a straightforward question from co-host Sunny Hostin. Just 28 days before a pivotal election, Hostin asked Harris if she would have done anything differently than President Biden during their administration’s tenure. The question, which offered Harris a prime opportunity to differentiate herself and connect with voters yearning for change, led to a response that many viewers found evasive.
“If anything, would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?” asked Sunny Hostin.
When posed the question, Harris responded: “There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact.” She then pivoted. “The work that we have done, for example, capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors is something I care deeply about,” Harris said, before adding her intention to expand those benefits to all Americans.
Hostin’s question seemed designed to allow Harris to acknowledge the administration’s challenges, a move that could have shown voters that she’s willing to admit when things could have been handled differently. Instead, Harris’s unwillingness to deviate from the administration’s talking points is seen by some as a refusal to take accountability or demonstrate independence.
With Americans increasingly concerned about inflation, economic stability, and international affairs, some viewers felt Harris’s response lacked the self-awareness and transparency needed to connect with voters dissatisfied with the current state of the nation.
This week saw Harris, the Democratic nominee, dashing through a series of media stops aimed at maximizing her visibility. She started her day on ABC’s ‘The View,’ and plans to continue with an interview with radio host Howard Stern, followed by a segment on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show. The media push follows her appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes” Monday night and a feature on Alex Cooper’s ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcast that dropped Sunday.
Intrepid CBS reporter Bill Whitaker refused to let Harris weave out of a direct answer, pressing her multiple times to reflect on why it has taken three and a half years to reverse course on open border policies. For two and a half painful minutes, the vice president revised history and blamed former President Donald Trump.
“You recently visited the southern border and embraced President Biden’s recent crackdown on asylum seekers. And that crackdown produced an almost immediate and dramatic decrease in the number of border crossings. If that’s the right answer now, why didn’t your administration take those steps in 2021?” Whitaker asked.
“I’ve been covering the border for, for years. And so I know this is not a problem that started with your administration,” Whitaker admitted. Harris pounced on the opening, “Correct. Correct.” However, the seasoned reporter continued, “But there was an historic flood of undocumented immigrants coming across the border the first three years of your administration. As a matter of fact, arrivals quadrupled from the last year of President Trump. Was it a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did?”
For an administration already battling low approval ratings and skepticism about its leadership, Harris’s performance could be seen as another example of missed messaging—one that voters may not forget come election day.