Andrea Mitchell continued her cheerleading for Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris on her Thursday show where she praised Harris' "stunning" acceptance speech, during an interview with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Later in the interview, Mitchell echoed former President Obama accusing President Trump of suppressing the vote and Black Lives Matter.
Mitchell began her praise of Harris by assuming that Americans' know Harris "for her hard-hitting interrogations of Brett Kavanaugh and William Barr at Senate hearings." It was not that long ago when Mitchell was teaming up with Democratic politicians to warn fellow media personalities that "hard-hitting interrogations" of Harris could be seen as racist and sexist.
Mitchell then laughably claimed Harris was, "reluctant to talk about her background when she was running for president herself, filled in a lot of those gaps with a deeply personal acceptance speech Wednesday night." Of course, Harris once used her background to imply Joe Biden was too friendly with segregationists.
Praising Harris' speech as one of the best VP acceptance speeches ever, as if there's a list of such speeches, Mitchell declared, "And I've got to think, for the rest of us, it was a stunning speech, I think that she really had more self-confidence and more impact than a lot of vice presidential acceptance speeches."
Tossing the conversation to Bowser, Mitchell hyped the historical nature of Harris' nomination, "But it's particularly for black women and girls, your daughter, what does she represent?"
After Bowser answered by claiming Harris "represents America" and her nomination acknowledges the work black women do for the Democratic Party, Mitchell shifted to Obama's speech and Bowser's work as mayor, "You have to deal directly with what President Obama was talking about last night, that is fighting the suppression of mail-in voting and Black Lives Matter, the movement, and the way certainly he is warning people about what President Trump is doing, his view that the president is a threat to our democracy."
Bowser claimed that as a former president, Obama has the credibility to say Biden is fit for office, but Trump is not, but as for Mitchell, Trump has not done anything to suppress BLM, unless protecting federal property from violence counts as suppression.
This segment was sponsored by Progressive.
Here is a transcript for the August 20 show:
MSNBC
Andrea Mitchell Reports
12:32 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: Kamala Harris, previously known to most Americans for her hard-hitting interrogations of Brett Kavanaugh and William Barr at Senate hearings, and reluctant to talk about her background when she was running for president herself, filled in a lot of those gaps with a deeply personal acceptance speech Wednesday night. Joining me now, mayor Muriel Bowser to talk about the impact of this. You know her well, you've been in touch with her, since she was nominated. And I've got to think, for the rest of us, it was a stunning speech, I think that she really had more self-confidence and more impact than a lot of vice presidential acceptance speeches. But it's particularly for black women and girls, your daughter, what does she represent?
MURIEL BOWSER: Well I think so that she represents America. And she shows -- I think her story is truly an American story. The daughter of immigrants, a woman who worked her way through the legal system in politics, and now as a vice presidential contender. So I think hers is a story of American grit, hard work, determination, and just truly being exceptional at what she does, and that's why she's being recognized. For us, for black women, we see ourselves in her. We see our work in the Democratic Party recognized in a way that is so powerful. What she should see in us is a powerful force that's going to get her to the White House with Joe Biden.…
MITCHELL: In fact the entire program last night, virtually all people of color, all speakers. You have to deal directly with what President Obama was talking about last night, that is fighting the suppression of mail-in voting and Black Lives Matter, the movement, and the way certainly he is warning people about what President Trump is doing, his view that the president is a threat to our democracy.
BOWSER: Well, I think that President Obama certainly has a different vantage point than all of us. I think when he said the words that "I've been in the Oval Office with both these men," that's a powerful statement. We have only a handful of living presidents now and they really know what it takes to do this job. Former First Lady Obama had a front row seat. She knows directly what it takes to do this job. Listen, all Americans have seen what has happened in the last four years, and where failed leadership has gotten them. You heard Secretary Clinton say what this president inherited in terms of, you know, just a booming economy, job creation with continued increases on monthly and annual basis, pandemic plans already in place. And where we are today is trying to pick up the pieces from a COVID pandemic that has run wild in our country and an economic recession that has resulted. We need real leadership and we need it now.
