Former Obama advisor David Axelrod recently clarified his remarks concerning Vice President Kamala Harris’ responses during the CNN town hall on Wednesday.
Initially, Axelrod had characterized some of Harris’ responses as “word salad city,” especially on topics like Israel and immigration.
During a follow-up interview with CNN anchor Boris Sanchez, Axelrod expanded on his views.
Sanchez referenced Axelrod’s previous critique, noting that Harris’ responses seemed to revert to standard talking points, especially on challenging issues.
“By his own admission, Donald Trump weaves when responding to certain questions, and it seems to make no discernible difference to his supporters. So I’m wondering how you think Harris can manage what seemed to be very different standards,” Sanchez asked Axelrod.
Axelrod acknowledged this double standard, affirming that Harris does indeed face greater scrutiny than former President Trump.
He elaborated, emphasizing that Harris is in a unique position, needing to establish herself to the American public in just a short period.
“Yes, she’s in a more difficult position because she has basically had to introduce herself to the American people in 90 days,” Axelrod said, noting that Trump’s unpredictable speech style has become expected by his supporters.
“When you listen to a Donald Trump rally, it is an incredible flight because you never know where he’s going or where he’s going to land or how one point connects to another. But that, in some ways, is priced into the stock of Donald Trump,” Axelrod stated.
He pointed out that with Harris, the situation is very different; people are analyzing her every response as they try to understand her values and vision.
This results in higher scrutiny and heightened expectations. “Whereas people are really trying to get to know Kamala Harris, so her answers are being scrutinized more closely because people are looking for clues to who she is and where she’s going, and that puts additional pressure on her,” Axelrod explained.
Axelrod acknowledged that his comments had been widely circulated but emphasized that he also noted Harris’ strengths.
He highlighted her compelling message during the town hall: “the difference between us is that he’s going to come to the office with an enemies list, and I’m going to come with a to-do list about how we work on those things, those concerns that we’ve discussed here tonight.”
Axelrod found this message particularly powerful, saying it “struck a chord” and could serve as a strong campaign point.
The advisor’s initial comment about “word salad city” had gone viral, with many sharing his assessment of Harris’ tendency to give lengthy, complex answers when faced with challenging questions.
He pointed to her response on Israel, where she delivered a seven-minute answer to a question about her stance on Israel in comparison to Trump’s but ultimately avoided directly addressing the query.
Axelrod noted that Harris sometimes misses opportunities by not acknowledging potential issues with current administration policies, like in her responses on immigration.
“Sometimes you have to concede things, and she didn‘t concede much,” he concluded, suggesting that a more direct approach could enhance her connection with voters.
