New York Times columnist Bret Stephens published a piece on Friday criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris' first in-person interview as a 2024 presidential candidate, calling it “vague” and “empty.”
Stevens, a conservative columnist who is a fierce opponent of former President Trump, harshly criticized Harris' performance, saying she provided few details about the policies she would implement as president, avoided straightforward answers and relied on unsubstantiated talking points, while CNN host Dana Bash seemed hesitant to ask tough questions.
“But there was too much red tape in this interview to allay any doubts about whether Ms. Harris is ready for the top job,” Stevens asserted.
NBC's Chuck Todd criticizes Kamala Harris for “mistake” in avoiding coverage: “Any missteps” will be “fully scrutinized.”
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens slammed Vice President Kamala Harris' interview with CNN on Thursday as “vague” and “empty.” (AP/Stephen B. Morton)
Ms. Harris and Mr. Bash received praise from liberals in the interview. Pointer etc. and The New York Times While the coverage was excellent, conservatives were understandably harsher on the vice president and CNN, saying they didn't provide enough detail about Harris' policy proposals.
Stevens began his column with the positive aspects of Harris' interview, saying, “She was warm, approachable and — recalling Barack Obama's famous exchange with Hillary Clinton in 2008 — more than 'likeable enough.'”
He also praised Trump for “refusing to be lured into the trap of identity politics and running for president on behalf of all Americans, regardless of race or gender,” and for setting himself apart from former President Donald Trump as someone who seeks to “lift” people rather than tear them down.
The negative comments followed: “She was vapidly vague. She struggled to provide a clear answer about the change in her positions on fracking or border security beyond saying, 'My values haven't changed.'”
He also avoided questions about why it took the Biden administration more than three years to improve border control, ultimately doing so with an executive order that could have been enacted years ago, and noted that the interview did not clarify why she reversed her previous policy position.
Even CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale called out Harris after she claimed during an interview that “I made it clear in the 2020 debates that I would not ban fracking.”
CNN anchor: Did Harris 'wait too long' to schedule her first interview?
Even CNN's Daniel Dale pointed out that some of the claims Kamala Harris made about her position on fracking during the interview were incorrect. (Screenshot/CNN)
“The fact check concludes that she did not actually disclose during the 2020 debates that she had changed her previous support for a fracking ban,” Dale said, citing a transcript of a debate with then-Vice President Mike Pence in which she promised that President Biden would not ban fracking.
Stevens went on to sharply criticize Harris' comments, particularly her policy proposal to prevent so-called price gouging.
“Harris also relied on some talking points that may not be helpful over the next two months. She mentioned price gouging, but Americans are likely not going to believe that grocery chains with razor-thin profit margins are the real cause of rising food costs.”
He added: “Her $100 billion plan to give first-time homebuyers $25,000 in down payment assistance would primarily serve to encourage further increases in home prices. Even Trump might be smart enough to explain how inflationary this scheme could be.”
Stevens also spoke about his vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Republican. Gov. Tim Walz wrote that Harris' presence during the interview was a “larger weakness” for her, writing, “Although Harris delivered a brilliant speech at the Democratic National Convention (encouraged by her son Gus), she clearly dodged questions from Bash about false statements about her military service, false claims about a DUI arrest and misleading statements about her family's fertility treatments.”
“Next time, ask me a harder question,” he urged.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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