With President Trump’s historic win in Iowa and President Biden’s sagging poll numbers, the liberal ladies of ABC’s The View were in a panic on Wednesday. Unfortunately for Vice President Kamala Harris, she was the point person for all of their angst and nervousness as they pelted her with pleas for the Biden campaign to perform better so that Trump didn’t get elected president again.
After getting a pillow of a question tossed at her from moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Harris got her first frantic question from co-host Sara Haines. Haines wanted them to ditch their doom-and-gloom messaging about democracy being in peril because it wasn’t working, and stick to kitchen table issues:
The President has made saving democracy the center of his campaign, and many of us, I think every one of us at this table understands the damage and the fear of January 6th and all that happened. But it's been three years since then and a lot of minds are already made up. Attacks on Trump are not moving the needle. In fact, 91 indictments are not moving the needle. Voters want to hear about issues affecting their lives like the economy and the border. Should the campaign be pivoting on its messaging?
Harris refused. “I would not separate that from the issue of what is at stake in terms of our democracy and, frankly, I think most people don't think of it in the context of democracy so much as freedom,” she proclaimed.
Surprisingly, co-host Joy Behar had a pretty serious question about the “heavy-hitting Democrats [who were] sounding the alarm behind closed doors” about the Biden reelection effort:
President Obama reportedly has said that he thinks the Biden campaign is too complacent when it comes to Trump. Representative Jim Clyburn has said the campaign isn't breaking through the MAGA wall. Michelle Obama says she's terrified, as we are, about the potential outcome of the election.
“Now, are you scared, first of all, what could happen if Trump ever became, God forbid, president again and what are you going to do to stop the crazies?” a concerned Behar wanted to know.
Faux conservative Alyssa Farah Griffin fired off this zinger at Harris that left her a bit speechless for a short time: “In head-to-head matchups in a number of battleground states, Donald Trump edges you and President Biden out. What does it say that the party is struggling to compete with an unfit man who is likely going to jail?”
But don’t be mistaken, Farah Griffin’s question wasn’t a spiking-the-ball moment in favor of Trump. She’s staunchly anti-Trump and it came from a place of drilling into the heads of the Biden campaign action is needed to stop the bleeding.
Of course, staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin’s question came from the far-left and was essentially a demand that Biden abandon Israel to sure up support from the extremists in the “Democratic voter base”:
Many say that one of your many strengths as a surrogate is your connection to young people. I believe that to be true. Now, voters between 18 and 29 years old stand out as disapproving of the way the Biden administration is handling the Israel-Hamas war. They do not support sending weapons and money to Israel. They are advocating for a humanitarian cease-fire. How does the administration respond to the concerns of this very important part of the Democratic voter base?
One of the biggest issues the Biden campaign was struggling with was his advanced age and failing mental state. “I've met him many times. He seems very robust. He told me he works out every day. I see him on television. I'm the same age, so I resent that remark,” Behar bloviated in his defense.
“But besides that, the other side seems doddering to me. He’s eating cheeseburgers, he’s overweight, he's always in a golf cart. I mean, why is Biden getting the bad rap and not Trump? I don't get it,” she exclaimed.
Much of the interview, which took up most of the show, was essentially a campaign brainstorming session put on by ABC. And embarrassingly, the network actually played Harris off at the end of the show as she delivered another word salad of a response.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
January 17, 2024
11:18:05 a.m. Eastern(…)
SARA HAINES: Well, madam Vice President, thank you for being here.
VP KAMALA HARRIS: Of course.
HAINES: The President has made saving democracy the center of his campaign, and many of us, I think every one of us at this table understands the damage and the fear of January 6th and all that happened. But it's been three years since then and a lot of minds are already made up. Attacks on Trump are not moving the needle. In fact, 91 indictments are not moving the needle. Voters want to hear about issues affecting their lives like the economy and the border. Should the campaign be pivoting on its messaging?
HARRIS: So, there's no doubt that one of the first issues that anyone will think of is the issue they think of when they're at their kitchen table trying to pay their bills, which is how is the economy treating them? So, there's no question whatsoever that that is an important issue, which we have been in the process of addressing. We still need to do more.
I would not separate that from the issue of what is at stake in terms of our democracy and, frankly, I think most people don't think of it in the context of democracy so much as freedom.
(…)
11:22:05 a.m. Eastern
JOY BEHAR: Let's talk a little about how you're going to go after the other side. Because some heavy-hitting Democrats are sounding the alarm behind closed doors. President Obama reportedly has said that he thinks the Biden campaign is too complacent when it comes to Trump. Representative Jim Clyburn has said the campaign isn't breaking through the MAGA wall. Michelle Obama says she's terrified, as we are, about the potential outcome of the election.
Now, are you scared, first of all, what could happen if Trump ever became, God forbid, president again and what are you going to do to stop the crazies?
(…)
11:24:14 a.m. Eastern
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: Off of that, Donald Trump is facing 91 felony counts across four different indictments for a variety of crimes, yet, ABC's latest poll has President Biden's approval rating at 33 percent, behind Donald Trump’s. In head-to-head matchups in a number of battleground states, Donald Trump edges you and President Biden out. What does it say that the party is struggling to compete with an unfit man who is likely going to jail?
(…)
11:31:42 a.m. Eastern
SUNNY HOSTIN: Many say that one of your many strengths as a surrogate is your connection to young people. I believe that to be true. Now, voters between 18 and 29 years old stand out as disapproving of the way the Biden administration is handling the Israel-Hamas war. They do not support sending weapons and money to Israel. They are advocating for a humanitarian cease-fire. How does the administration respond to the concerns of this very important part of the Democratic voter base?
(…)
11:42:30 a.m. Eastern
BEHAR: So, people are saying that Biden is too old. We hear it constantly. I've met him many times. He seems very robust. He told me he works out every day. I see him on television. I'm the same age so I resent that remark. But besides that, the other side seems doddering to me. He’s eating cheeseburgers, he’s overweight, he's always in a golf cart. I mean, why is Biden getting the bad rap and not Trump? I don't get it.
(…)
