Kamala Harris battled through an uncomfortable interview with ABC’s Sarah Ferguson last night.
ABC secured an Australia exclusive interview with the former US Vice President, who is on the promotional trail for her new book 107 Days.
Per ABC, the interview was set to “reveal the behind the scenes of the shortest and most consequential Presidential campaign in modern history, and to discuss where to from now for her and for the Democratic party”.
What ensued, however, was a tense exchange in which Ferguson pushed Harris on multiple contentious issues, including her reluctance to criticise the Democratic Party and Joe Biden’s declining health.
As news.com.au reports, Harris attempted to fill the interview with anti-Trump diatribes, Ferguson turned up the heat on Harris, suggestion she had some responsibility for the eventual loss to Trump due to her role as VP.
Just this week, a report by a Republican-led committee in the US House of Representatives claimed that Biden’s actions were “not all his own” after the Democratic Party huddles details of his health issues from the public.
“I reflect on not talking him out of running and why I didn’t. And I ask myself was it grace or was it recklessness … and I think it was reckless,” Harris said in the interview.
Awkward moments
A particularly awkward moment arrived when Ferguson challenged Harris for trying to evade tough questions about Biden. When she deflected criticism of Biden by pointing to Trump’s “misrepresentation of his intentions,” Ferguson interjected.
“That is a world-class pivot but it is not the question I asked you,” she said. Harris was undeterred, asking her interviewer to “be more specific.”
Ferguson asked Harris about Biden’s age and health issues, to which Harris continued to defend him.
“I did not question Joe Biden’s capacity to be president at all … I never doubted that he had the capacity to be president of the United States,” she said.
When Ferguson mentioned Biden’s catastrophic debate performance, Harris simply blamed the former president’s travel schedule and exhaustion.
On the Democratic Party’s loss to Trump in the election, Harris admitted things could have been done differently, but chose to lay the blame on short notice.
“There was an impact … had we more time, perhaps the outcome would have been different. That is a fact,” she said.
Trump’s commended work in the recent Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange came up in the interview, with Harris telling Ferguson “I give credit where credit is due.”
“I applaud that the hostages are out. I applaud that there is a ceasefire. I … It may be temporary. We will see. Each day, we’re seeing different levels of activity come out of that region. I give credit to the Egyptians, the Qataris and President Trump for arriving at the agreement,” she continued, adding that “more work needs to be done.”
Harris, however, declined to say that Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Harris’ promo trail took her to The View last month, where she said her current relationship with Biden “is based on mutual respect, having been in the trenches together, and admiration.”