Following the conclusion of the Republican National Convention, on Friday, NBC’s Today show decided it was time to give lots of free air time to the Biden-Harris campaign and help the Democratic ticket smear Trump and the RNC. Therefore, co-host Craig Melvin sat down for a friendly chat with vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, teeing her up to attack the President and even absurdly calling the far-left senator a “radical centrist.”
“Well, it is obviously the Republican Party’s week in the spotlight, but the Democratic ticket is not sitting silent. Instead, speaking out to offer a contrast to the Trump presidency,” co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed as she introduced part one of the softball exchange during the 7:30 a.m. ET half hour of the broadcast.
Early in the campaign infomercial thinly disguised as an interview, Melvin touted a vile accusation Joe Biden made on Thursday – while talking to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell – that Trump was “rooting for violence.” Turning to Harris on Friday, Melvin wondered: “Vice President Biden – I heard him say he thought President Trump was rooting for more violence. How does more violence help the President politically?”
Harris laughed as she used the question as an opportunity to trash the GOP:
That’s not my deal to figure out his political strategy. But I will say this about the Republican convention, some of which I have watched. I have yet to see these people who profess to be national leaders speak about this issue of the killing of unarmed black men, brown men, indigenous men in our country.
Later, Melvin set her up to spew more DNC talking points by asking: “One of the central tenets of your campaign seems to be this promise that there won’t be as much chaos. How can you guarantee that?” Harris ranted: “You know, there’s an old saying, the fish rots from the head. Part of leadership is to set a tone for the country. We have on the one hand Donald Trump, who has been spending full time trying to sow hate and division in our country.”
Wrapping up that portion of the interview, Melvin teased that there would be more on the 3rd Hour Today show at 9:00 a.m. ET:
And I also asked her why she thinks that the President is scared when it comes to coronavirus. She said that in a speech yesterday. I asked about that and this idea that she has been labeled, some this week and some in the past, as radically liberal. These labels that folks have placed on her and Mr. Biden. We spend some time talking about that as well.
Notice how dismissive he was of “labels that folks have place on her,” not wanting to acknowledge the reality of her far-left ideology.
During that portion aired on 3rd Hour Today, Melvin lamented: “Perhaps you’ve heard one of the chief criticisms of the Biden-Harris ticket by some is you’re radical, you’re radical liberal.” He then laughably attempted to hit her from the left: “And then there are some who are saying, ‘Oh, they’re not liberal enough.’”
Harris tried to cover up her radical positions by claiming the Democratic Party welcomed “diversity”:
The most important point, I think, that can be made about the diversity of who we are is an embrace of the diversity of who we are. And that’s who we are as Democrats. We embrace the diversity of who we are. We’re not requiring people to march and fall in line. And if you want to call that radical, perhaps it is in the eyes of Donald Trump. But I would say that a quest for unity and a fight for an America that sees everyone and a vision of the future of America in which everyone can see themselves, is reflective of who we are and who we are aspire to be as a nation and our strength as a nation.
Rather than recite all of her extreme political views, like her support of the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, eliminating private health insurance, and granting voting rights to convicted terrorists like the Boston bomber, Melvin said this: “So it sound like you’re saying you are a radical centrist.” Harris laughed and replied: “I am saying I am radically in love with my country.”
The only point of an interview like this is to give Democrats a national platform to hurl attacks at Trump and help them brush aside the truth about their left-wing radicalism. NBC, like the rest of the leftist media, only serves as a mouthpiece for the Biden-Harris campaign.
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Here are transcripts of the questions Melvin asked Harris during both parts of the interview aired on August 28:
Today
7:32 AM ETSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Well, it is obviously the Republican Party’s week in the spotlight, but the Democratic ticket is not sitting silent. Instead, speaking out to offer a contrast to the Trump presidency.
CRAIG MELVIN: Just hours before President Trump delivered that headlining RNC speech, newly minted Democratic VP nominee Kamala Harris held her first solo event, not mincing words. Afterwards, I got the chance to speak with Senator Harris for her first one-on-one network interview since her nomination, where we started by talking about the shooting of Jacob Blake.
As a former prosecutor and someone who worked closely with police for years, is there a scenario in which that officer would have been justified, was justified in firing his weapon?
(...)
7:33 AM ET
MELVIN: You think the officers should be charged?
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS I think there should be a thorough investigation. And based on what I’ve seen, it seems that the officer should be charged.
MELVIN: There a lot of folks who are saying here’s a man who wouldn’t follow police commands. Law enforcement tried to use a taser. He apparently is reaching into a car where a knife was later found. And because of those reasons we should reserve judgment and the officer should be afforded due process. What would you say to those people who are saying that?
(...)
7:34 AM ET
MELVIN: Last night we heard Vice President Pence say people would not be safe in Joe Biden’s America. A few hours ago, I heard the Vice President say – Vice President Biden – I heard him say he thought President Trump was rooting for more violence. How does more violence help the President politically?
HARRIS: That’s not my deal to figure out his political strategy. But I will say this about the Republican convention, some of which I have watched. I have yet to see these people who profess to be national leaders speak about this issue of the killing of unarmed black men, brown men, indigenous men in our country.
MELVIN: At this week’s RNC, one of the things that has struck me, compared to RNCs past, there seems to be a larger number of black men front and center. It would seem as if Republicans perhaps see an opportunity here that Democrats don’t see. There’s been a lot of talk about women of color. Black men, what is the case for them to show up in a few weeks for you and Mr. Biden?
HARRIS: First of all, every vote needs to be earned. And Joe and I believe that.
(...)
7:35 AM ET
MELVIN: You devoted a fair amount of your speech to – to the virus.
HARRIS: Yeah.
MELVIN: And you talked about the national mask mandate. It sounds like that would be one of the first orders of business.
HARRIS: Yes.
MELVIN: How would you enforce that?
HARRIS: It’s a – it’s a standard. I mean, nobody’s going to be punished.
(...)
7:37 AM ET
MELVIN: One of the central tenets of your campaign seems to be this promise that there won’t be as much chaos. How can you guarantee that?
HARRIS: You know, there’s an old saying, the fish rots from the head. Part of leadership is to set a tone for the country. We have on the one hand Donald Trump, who has been spending full time trying to sow hate and division in our country. On the other hand, you have Joe Biden, who has been all about saying we need to unify as a country, respect the dignity of our fellow human beings. In this election, there are two clear choices. There are two. And which choice is reflective of who we aspire to be as a country and as a people?
MELVIN: Yeah, one of the criticisms obviously that she’s gotten, along with the Vice President, is you’ve got the President and Vice President who have been out making trips to battleground states, doing small, in some cases larger, in-person events. Some have suggested they need to do that. So we talked – we spent some time talking about that and why they haven’t been doing that. And we’ll have that for you coming up on the 3rd Hour. And I also asked her why she thinks that the President is scared when it comes to coronavirus. She said that in a speech yesterday. I asked about that and this idea that she has been labeled, some this week and some in the past, as radically liberal. These labels that folks have placed on her and Mr. Biden. We spend some time talking about that as well.
GUTHRIE: Okay, so more ahead in the 3rd Hour of Today.
MELVIN: Yes.
3rd Hour Today
9:23 AM ETDYLAN DREYER: And welcome back. During the pandemic, President Trump and Vice President Pence have crisscrossed the country to campaign in swing states. And now it appears the Democratic ticket may too.
CRAIG MELVIN: Vice President Biden saying overnight that in the next few weeks he is planning to start traveling to some battleground states for in-person events. Just before that announcement, I asked his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, in our exclusive sit-down, about their plans and the challenges of campaigning during a pandemic.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS [D-CA]: I’m looking forward to this campaign and connecting with the American people in every way we can. You know, Joe, that’s one of the things he and I have in common, we love to interact with people.
MELVIN: So you’re gonna get out there?
HARRIS: Well, in every way we can in a way that will be safe for the people that we are meeting with.
(...)
9:25 AM ET
MELVIN: Perhaps you’ve heard one of the chief criticisms of the Biden-Harris ticket by some is you’re radical, you’re radical liberal. And then there are some who are saying, “Oh, they’re not liberal enough.”
HARRIS: The most important point, I think, that can be made about the diversity of who we are is an embrace of the diversity of who we are. And that’s who we are as Democrats. We embrace the diversity of who we are. We’re not requiring people to march and fall in line. And if you want to call that radical, perhaps it is in the eyes of Donald Trump. But I would say that a quest for unity and a fight for an America that sees everyone and a vision of the future of America in which everyone can see themselves, is reflective of who we are and who we are aspire to be as a nation and our strength as a nation.
MELVIN: So it sound like you’re saying you are a radical centrist.
HARRIS: [Laughs] I am saying I am radically in love with my country.
MELVIN: You said something downstairs that caught my attention, with regards to the President’s response to the pandemic. You said that he was scared. What was he – what was he scared of?
HARRIS: Dealing with the truth and taking on a serious matter, meaning doing what is necessary to lead.
(...)
9:26 AM ET
MELVIN: Beyond addressing the coronavirus, another item at the top of their agenda? Addressing calls for systemic change, most recently sparked by the police shooting of another black man, Jacob Blake. As a former prosecutor and someone who worked closely with police for years, is there a scenario in which that officer would have been justified, was justified in firing his weapon?
HARRIS: Craig, I don’t see it. But I don’t have all the evidence.
(...)
9:27 AM ET
MELVIN: Do you think the officer should be charged?
HARRIS: I think that there should be a thorough investigation. And based on what I’ve seen, it seems that the officer should be charged.
MELVIN: Last night we heard Vice President Pence say people would not be safe in Joe Biden’s America. A few hours ago, I heard the Vice President say – Vice President Biden – I heard him say he thought President Trump was rooting for more violence. How does more violence help the President politically?
HARRIS: I mean, I can’t – look, you’re gonna have to ask Kellyanne Conway or somebody. I don’t know. That’s not my deal, to figure out his political strategy. But I will say this about the Republican convention, some of which I have watched. I have yet to see these people who profess to be national leaders speak about this issue of the killing of unarmed black men, brown men, indigenous men in our country.
MELVIN: What have you seen?
HARRIS: What we’re seeing in the Republican convention is, for the most part, a vision of America that’s about darkness and not about, you know, what Joe Biden talks about, which is the light and our ability to aspire toward the light. And that’s what America wants in our leaders. That’s what we deserve to have in our leaders.
MELVIN: We should point out that we put the entire conversation – and it was a fairly long conversation – but the entire conversation is on our website Today.com. And we should also point out we have extended an invitation, it’s an open invitation to the current Vice President Mike Pence as well to sit down with us.
