CNN’s Tapper: Harris ‘Dodged’ on Border, Economy, Was Vague on Israel

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper said that, during the debate on Tuesday, 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris avoided questions on if people are better off than they were four years ago, if she would have handled the border differently than President Joe Biden and was vague on how she’d handle the Israel-Hamas war, while 2024 Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump ducked questions on an abortion ban and the Ukraine-Russia War.

Tapper began the segment by saying that “there are many reasons why this debate did not go well for Mr. Trump. One might be exemplified by his staggeringly absurd lie about migrants in Springfield, OH eating local neighbors’ cats and dogs.” Later, in the segment, Trump’s statements about Springfield were a “more than a little bit racist” lie, have to be the nuttiest subject to ever come up in a presidential debate, and are the result of Trump being stuck in a “misinformation silo.”

He added that “both Trump and Harris fell short of giving straightforward answers to questions about how exactly they would run the country.”

Tapper then noted that Harris punted on whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago, “dodged” on if she would have done differently than President Joe Biden on the border, and didn’t really give any details on how she would get a ceasefire-hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war.

He added, “Trump, meanwhile, was also busy not answering big questions” on things like whether he’d veto a national abortion ban or whether Ukraine beating Russia would be in America’s interest.

Tapper further stated that Trump’s claim that he “had nothing to do with the disaster of January 6 is so obviously false, it is rather stunning.”

(h/t Charlie Kirk)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett