Both Kamala Harris and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to each other on Wednesday during interviews. CBS Mornings and ABC’s Good Morning America questioned the Democrat from the left while discussing President Biden’s State of the Union address. CBS’s Gayle King worried about whether “voting rights” legislation was still a top priority for the administration while ABC’s George Stephanopoulos hoped Biden could save his party from defeat in the upcoming midterm elections.
After leading off with a couple questions about the war Ukraine on the CBS morning show, King made the “switch to some of the domestic issues that were raised last night.” The liberal host fretted that a favorite left-wing agenda item had been placed on the “back burner” by Democrats: “But there was very little mention, very little mention of voting rights. Does this mean that that issue is on the back burner for the administration at this point in time?”
Harris had the chance to make venomous attacks on Republican state legislatures in order to pass voting reform legislation across the nation.
The President has said over and over again, and we have made very clear, that this is about protecting America’s democracy against those various states in particular and state legislators and governors who are in a full-on assault on the right of every American who is eligible to actually be able to vote….laws that are being passed that would make it illegal to give somebody who’s standing in line to vote food and water is outrageous. People are finding it harder to cast their vote in the drop boxes due to laws being passed.
Over on ABC’s GMA, after also asking a few questions about Ukraine, Stephanopoulos took a “turn to the domestic front.” It started out promising, with the anchor playing a clip of the Republican response to the State of the Union from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who declared: “….it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late ’70s and early ’80s. When run away inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map.”
However, rather than follow that soundbite with a pointed question to the Vice President, Stephanopoulos whiffed with a lame, “Your response?” Harris of course offered talking points: “Well, the facts are that in one year we have created over six million jobs. We have grown our economy faster than any time in the past 40 years. This is a fact, I believe since Reagan’s era. Those are the facts.”
Stephanopoulos did note: “And the American people certainly are not feeling it right now, at least that’s what’s showing up in the polls.” Though he then made it clear that he was mainly just concerned with the political prospects of his party: “Can the President provide the kind of relief that is necessary to prevent a Democratic rout in November?”
Harris assured: “…the President made clear last night part of what we as leaders in the United States, both in the Congress and in the executive branch, need to do is we need to pay attention to the needs of American families.”
In contrast to CBS and ABC, NBC’s Get it TodaySavannah Guthrie was the show’s cohost and kept Harris’s attention focused on Ukraine in her Wednesday interview.
CBS’s fretting over “voting rights” was brought to viewers by Amazon and ABC fearing a “Democratic rout” in the midterms was brought to viewers by Sleep Number. These advertisers can be contacted to let them know your opinion about sponsoring this content.
Here is a transcript of King’s questions to Harris on the March 2 CBS Mornings:
7:06 AM ET
GAYLE KING: This is our continuation of the State of the Union coverage. We have Vice President Kamala Harris. Madame Vice President, good Morning. It’s good to be with you today.
GOOD MORNING VICE-PRESIDENT KAMALA HARIRIS Good morning. Gayle, good to see you.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Vice President Harris on the State of the Union; VP Kamala Harris on the War in Ukraine, the economy, & Biden’s Message]
KING: Let’s get right into the speech. Last night was the tale of two speeches. We had to start with foreign policy for obvious reasons because of what’s going on in Ukraine. The Ukrainian president Zelensky has asked for western support. Last night President Biden stated that Putin doesn’t know what was coming. I realize you can’t share with us administration secrets, but is there another card to play here?
(…)
KING (I hear your point of view, but these images are so heartbreaking to see. Innocent civilians are being murdered. There are children dying and the administration is clear that they will not be sending troops to the area. What will it take — will anything change that? We can’t just stand and watch as innocents are killed in this country.
(…)
KING: Let’s switch to some of the domestic issues that were raised last night. The President said, “Fund the police.” On that, he got applause. However, there was not much mention or mention about voting rights. This could mean that voting rights are not being addressed by the Administration at the moment.
KAMALA-HARRIS: Last night, the President made it clear to the United States Congress that the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act must be passed and also the Freedom to Vote Act. The President has said over and over again, and we have made very clear, that this is about protecting America’s democracy against those various states in particular and state legislators and governors who are in a full-on assault on the right of every American who is eligible to actually be able to vote. I’ve been traveling the country – in fact, later today I’ll be in North Carolina – and what we are saying about laws that are being passed that would make it illegal to give somebody who’s standing in line to vote food and water is outrageous. People are finding it harder to cast their vote in the dropboxes due to new laws.
KING: Okay, let’s talk about high priorities when it comes to inflation. The new CBS News poll found 70 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration’s handling of inflation. What do you say to those people who say gas prices are just too high, I can’t get peanut butter, everything costs more. How are you going to respond?
HARRIS – People, including working people, are facing serious problems with the rising cost of food and gas. We need to fix the issues that occurred due to the pandemic. There was also a decrease in the availability of products, which led to an increase in prices. The cost of living is also a major issue. It’s too expensive for working families. And so that’s why we have been clear, the President said last night, let’s bring down the cost of childcare so that working families don’t pay more than seven percent of their income in childcare.
KING: What are your methods?
(…)
KING (Vice President): I’m very grateful. I know you’ve got to run.
HARRIS: It’s good to be with you. We are grateful.
Here is a transcript of Stephanopoulos’s questions to Harris on ABC’s GMA:
7.10 am ET
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS : The Vice President of America Kamala Harris is joining us. Thank you, Madame Vice-President, for coming to our meeting this morning. The President stated last night that Vladimir Putin had made a mistake. Putin does not appear to be in any hurry to change his mind. Today, Putin’s forces have put Ukraine under siege. Are there any other actions the U.S. could take to stop Putin’s overthrow of the Ukrainian government?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Vice President Harris One-On-One; On The Ukraine Crisis, Combating Inflation & The Biden Agenda]
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS: But Putin seems willing to pay that price right now there, he’s not backing down in any way, shape or form. Up to this point, U.S. intelligence has shown that it is quite precise in predicting what Putin will do. Is it a sign that Kyiv will fall?
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS – What’s the best outcome? Does the United States want the Russian people and Putin’s fellow oligarches to rise up and depose him?
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS : Now let me get to the domestic front. Last night, the President presented his plan on inflation and COVID. Kim Reynolds, the governor of Iowa gave the Republican answer. Here’s what she had to say.
GOV. KIM REYNOLDS [R-IA]: We’re now one year into his presidency and instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late ’70s and early ’80s. As runaway inflation was devastating families and a violence wave was decimating our cities, the Soviet Army was trying to redefine the map of the world.
STEPHANOPOULOS Your answer?
KAMALA Harris: The facts show that we have created six million jobs in just one year. Our economy has grown at an unprecedented rate, much faster than it has in any other 40-year period since Reagan. These are the facts. Unemployment has fallen to a record low. The good news is that people return to work. Children are also back at school. 99 percent of schools in America have been reopened. This is America’s current state. It is clear that there are still many things to do. Inflation must be dealt with. This is why we have addressed the supply chain and are also doing what we can to reduce the cost to live. But, you know, I think that we have seen progress but there’s certainly more work to do.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And the American people certainly are not feeling it right now, at least that’s what’s showing up in the polls. Is the President able to provide relief necessary for a Democratic victory in November?
HARRIS: Well, listen, he – the President made clear last night part of what we as leaders in the United States, both in the Congress and in the executive branch, need to do is we need to pay attention to the needs of American families.
(…)
STEPHANOPOULOS – Madam Vice President. Thank you for taking the time to speak this morning.
HARRIS: We are grateful.
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