Kamala Harris pulled up on glaring contradiction over Joe Biden in awkward ABC 7.30 interview

By Alex Blair

What unfolded instead was a tense and uncomfortable exchange in which Ferguson pressed Harris on her glaring contradictions, including her reluctance to criticise the Democratic Party, Joe Biden’s health, and the weaknesses of a campaign that struggled to connect with voters.

The interview began with election night 2024, with Harris recalling the moment her campaign manager told her the race was lost. She said she was in “shock” that Americans had chosen Trump again.

“I was in a complete state of shock, and so much so that the only words I could speak, over and over again, were: ‘My God, my God, my God’,” she said, comparing her emotions to the grief she felt when her mother died.

“It wasn’t about winning or losing. It was an altogether other thing that was about what will happen.”

But as Harris attempted to steer the interview into her regular anti-Trump talking points, Ferguson quickly moved to her time as Vice President and the responsibility she bared in the loss.

Much of the interview focused on President Joe Biden’s decision to run for re-election, a move Harris now calls “reckless” not to have opposed.

A bombshell report released this week revealed the former president’s actions were “not all his own” after the Democratic machine hid details of his health from the public.

The House Oversight Committee staff document — based on more than a dozen interviews with Biden aides — laid out how the Democrat’s “inner circle” took steps to “meticulously stage-manage” his public appearances, lighten his private workload, and even block politicians from talking to him.

It was all part of why Americans grew to distrust the Democrats leading into the 2024 election year. The party recklessly pressed ahead with the “everything is fine” narrative and assumed it would stick with 100 million voters.

“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.

‘Not the question I asked you’

The most awkward moment came when Ferguson challenged Harris for pivoting away from tough questions over Biden. After Harris deflected criticism of him by pointing to Trump’s “misrepresentation of his intentions,” Ferguson cut in.

“That is a world-class pivot but it is not the question I asked you,” she said.

Harris bit back asking the ABC host to “be more specific”.

But then her curated answer sheet started to fall apart. When asked on Biden’s age and frailties, Harris repeatedly defended 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.

Ferguson interrupted, pointing to Biden’s disastrous debate performance and a highlight reel of uncomfortable public slip-ups.

Harris shrugged it off and blamed Biden’s travel schedule and exhaustion.

Harris also described the immense challenge of facing Trump on short notice. Because the Democratic Party insisted Biden was fit to run until the very last minute, Kamala was forced into a rushed campaign.

The broader critique of her campaign was its narrow focus. Democrats placed heavy emphasis on women’s health and reproductive rights and assumed frustration with Trump would be enough to carry them over the line.

That calculation backfired horribly.

Inflation, immigration, and distrust of Washington were top concerns for many Americans, .

Ferguson put it to Harris that she and the Democrats had to face the fact that they had “misjudged the scene.”

Harris admitted things could have been done differently, but largely blamed the loss on short notice.

“There was an impact … had we more time, perhaps the outcome would have been different. That is a fact,” she said.

Kamala’s reluctant praise for Trump

Harris began the interview repeating the party line, that Trump was a disaster for America. But she couldn’t dig herself out of a question about the current president’s work in the recent Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange.

“First of all, 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 said.

She quickly added that “more work needs to be done” and stressed the uncertainty of “enduring peace”.

It marked one of the few instances in the interview where Harris openly credited Trump’s actions.

Ferguson then pressed her on whether Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize he has long coveted. Harris declined to entertain that idea, instead saying that the long-term questions of governance, security, and rebuilding in Gaza remained unresolved.