CNN’s Jake Tapper has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for evading direct questions during Tuesday’s presidential debate on ABC. Tapper argued that Harris repeatedly avoided addressing key issues, especially regarding the economy.
Speaking on Wednesday, Tapper stated that Harris was not forthcoming about her policies, saying, “She began the debate by punting the first question on the economy.” After showing a clip of her response, he added, “Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country, the sitting vice president generally reverted to talking points about a few of her policy proposals. Even Harris’ allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans if elected.”
Tapper also highlighted Harris’s response to a question about how she would have managed the border crisis better than President Biden. Harris responded by emphasizing her past experience: “So I’m the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings.” To which Tapper responded, “M’kay, that wasn’t the question.”
Tapper continued to challenge Harris’s debate performance, particularly her comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict. When asked how she would break through the war stalemate, Harris said, “We need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out, and so we will continue to work around the clock on that.” Tapper pointedly responded, “OK. But again, how?”
Despite Tapper’s criticisms, he clarified that he was not equating Harris’s performance with that of former President Trump, noting, “While by no means are we equating the two performances last night, it is also true that at times both Trump and Harris fell short of giving straightforward answers to questions about how exactly they would run the country.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for a comment but did not receive an immediate response. The debate, held at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, has been criticized by some for the way it was moderated, with claims that ABC was overly hostile to Trump while being lenient with Harris.
ABC’s moderation choices have sparked controversy, with many questioning the handling of the event and the scrutiny applied to each candidate.
