Sen. Kamala Harris revealed to MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt Sunday that her now-viral moment confronting 2020 front-runner Joe Biden during the first Democratic presidential debate last week was planned.
During Thursday night’s debate, Harris attacked Biden for comments he made the week before about two segregationist senators that he used as an example of members of Congress that he worked alongside despite not agreeing with them on policies. She then pivoted to shame the former vice president for his opposition to busing decades ago, explaining that she was in “the second class to integrate her public schools,” and that “she was bused to school every day.”
Hunt asked Harris when she had made the decision to bring up Biden’s prior statements.
“I have to be obviously candid with you. From the moment that I heard his comments about the segregationists, it was troubling and it was hurtful,” Harris answered. “To hear those words from someone I respect, in a way that kind of — that suggests a bit of nostalgia about who these guys were, they were segregationists. They built their careers and their reputations on segregation and [racism].
“I just felt the need to talk about it in a way that was not about — not only in the context of some academic discussion about who do you work with,” she continued. “Let’s be really clear about what these guys were about and the impact of their words and their work.”
Harris later told Hunt that she does not believe Biden is “out of touch,” which has been an accusation that has dogged the Biden campaign thus far.
Biden defended his position during the debate in response to her criticism in part by pointing out that he was a public defender while Harris was previously a prosecutor.
