Van Jones Comments On Kamala After Event
Kamala Harris’s recent CNN town hall performance in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just days before the election, was a disappointing display of her ongoing struggles to connect with voters and deliver a coherent message. Desperate to gain traction as polls show Donald Trump edging ahead nationally, Harris leaned heavily on attacking Trump, even branding him a “fascist,” but failed to provide substantive answers on key issues like the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.
David Axelrod says Kamala Harris has a habit of going to “word salad city” when she doesn’t want to answer a question 🤣
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 24, 2024
The night started with a question from Anderson Cooper about whether she agreed with former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s statement that Trump wished to rule like a fascist. Harris quickly answered “yes,” doubling down on the attack, but when it came to addressing more complex issues, things unraveled quickly.
Whether it was her evasive response on the border wall or her meandering commentary on the war in Gaza, Harris seemed unable to stay focused or offer clear policy solutions. When asked about border security, she deflected by bringing up Trump’s broken promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. But even when pressed on her past criticisms of the wall, she dodged giving a straightforward answer, leaving viewers with more confusion than clarity.
CNN’s left-leaning panelists weren’t impressed. David Axelrod, a veteran Democratic strategist who helped elect Barack Obama, summed it up with a sharp critique: “Word salad city.” Van Jones echoed similar frustrations, pointing out that Harris’s evasions were unnecessary and only added to the perception that she was unprepared. CNN’s Dana Bash further noted that Harris didn’t “close the deal” with undecided voters, underscoring the broader problem of her inability to connect with the electorate.
This is the worst one ever.
— Jennifer Sey (@JenniferSey) October 24, 2024
Harris’s response to the question on Israel and Gaza was another moment that showcased her struggle to provide direct answers. When a college student asked about how Harris would prevent further U.S.-funded bombings in Gaza, she gave a long-winded response that ultimately failed to answer the question. Cooper tried to help steer the conversation back on track, asking Harris what she would say to voters disillusioned by U.S. policy in the region, but her answer remained unfocused, eventually pivoting to an attack on Trump’s admiration for dictators.
Axelrod’s critique of her response on Israel was particularly scathing. “When she doesn’t want to answer a question, her habit is to kind of go to word salad city,” he said, pointing out that Harris had spent seven minutes dodging the question without offering any real substance.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper asks Kamala Harris specifics on her tax plan
She says: “we can’t have this conversation … it’s a very complicated situation” pic.twitter.com/pkJGcaotoB
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) October 24, 2024
By the end of the night, the consensus among CNN’s panel was that Harris had missed an opportunity. While she may have fired up her base by attacking Trump, her inability to articulate clear policies or differentiate herself from the Biden administration left undecided voters with little reason to support her. With just days left before the election, Harris’s campaign is increasingly relying on surrogates and star power to make up for her shortcomings. But as the town hall showed, even with the spotlight on her, Harris struggles to rise to the occasion.