On Tuesday's CNN Tonight, CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley reacted to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden choosing Kamala Harris as his running mate by lavishing the California Senator with over the top praise.
While gushing that Harris is "the finest prosecutor I've ever seen" and a VP pick who is "unbelievably smart, articulate and good," he declared that Vice President Mike Pence would be a "disaster" that President Donald Trump is "stuck with," and that Harris would "make mincemeat" of him.
As anchor Don Lemon presided over a segment with Brinkley and anti-Trump Republican Mark McKinnon, the CNN host asked Brinkley if most Americans would "buy" President Trump's claim that Harris is a "radical liberal." Brinkley immediately started oozing with enthusiasm over the Democratic Senator:
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: “She’s so impressive. The clips you ran a little while ago of her work in which she did share a committee -- the way she could prosecute people like William Barr and Jeff Sessions and, you know, these are tough birds that she’s able to really put on the hot seat. I would be very fearful of her. I imagine that if you’re Mike Pence right now recognizing that this is who you’re going to have to debate on issues of substance. I have a feeling she’ll make mincemeat of him.
He further went negative on Vice President Pence, pronouncing that President Trump is "stuck with the same old thing":
BRINKLEY: And, I'm afraid, for Donald Trump he's sort of stuck with Pence now, who brings no new energy to the Trump campaign. Kamala Harris is going to become the cause celebre here for the next four weeks or more, and you simply have Trump-Pence.
After arguing that President George H.W. Bush made a mistake by not replacing Vice President Dan Quayle as his running mate, Brinkley continued:
Trump had a window to pick somebody like Nikki Haley or a woman to energize his campaign, but, alas, you're stuck with the same old thing. And adding Kamala Harris to Joe Biden -- it suddenly feels like change. You really feel that this is a change election, and so she's adding an awful lot to the Biden campaign right now.
A bit later, he reiterated that Trump is "stuck with" Pence and suggested no value in appealing to evangelical Christian voters:
I think he's stuck with Mike Pence, and Pence really brings nothing to this. I think Trump thinks he lights up the evangelical vote -- maybe some conservative Catholics and the like -- but it creates a stale atmosphere around Trump...
After suggesting that Trump may have some hope in going head to head with Biden because the former Democratic Vice President has gotten "rusty" at making media appearances, Brinkley returned to gushing over Senator Harris:
But Kamala Harris with Mike Pence -- it's going to be a disaster for the Trump team because she is, in my mind, the finest prosecutor I've ever seen in my life of watching politics and Washington lawmakers. She's just unbelievably smart, articulate, and good.
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Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Tuesday ,August 11, CNN Tonight. Click "expand" to read more.
CNN Tonight
8/11/2020
11:23 p.m. Eastern
DON LEMON: The President is out there tonight saying that Kamala Harris is the most radical liberal in the Senate. Will most people buy that?
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: No, I don't think it's viable. She's so impressive -- the quips you ran a little while ago of her work in which she did share a committee -- the way she could prosecute people like William Barr and Jeff Sessions and, you know, these are tough birds that she's really able to put on the hot seat. I would be very fearful of her. Imagine that you're Mike Pence right now recognizing that this is who you're going to have to debate on issues of substance. I have a feeling she'll make mincemeat of him.
And, I'm afraid, for Donald Trump he's sort of stuck with Pence now, who brings no new energy to the Trump campaign. Kamala Harris is going to become the cause celebre here for the next four weeks or more, and you simply have Trump-Pence. And you saw George Bush 41 made that mistake when he kept Dan Quayle of Indiana on when he ran for reelection in 1992, and it brought zero to the ticket.
Trump had a window to pick somebody like Nikki Haley or a woman to energize his campaign, but, alas, you're stuck with the same old thing. And adding Kamala Harris to Joe Biden -- it suddenly feels like change. You really feel that this is a change election, and so she's adding an awful lot to the Biden campaign right now.
(…)
And I'm not sure if somebody like Nikki Haley who has a political future would want to tie her kite to Donald Trump, whose poll numbers are sinking. I don't know who would want that spot, so I think he's stuck with Mike Pence, and Pence really brings nothing to this. I think Trump thinks he lights up the evangelical vote -- maybe some conservative Catholics and the like -- but it creates a stale atmosphere around Trump which means Trump has to rely on the three debates with Joe Biden as being his way to get back in the polls because he's actually in shape, Donald Trump, in the sense of doing media every day, day in and day out, and Joe Biden's a little bit rusty.
But Kamala Harris with Mike Pence -- it's going to be a disaster for the Trump team because she is, in my mind, the finest prosecutor I've ever seen in my life of watching politics and Washington lawmakers. She's just unbelievably smart, articulate, and good.
