Sen. Schmitt clashes with CNN host over Harris dodging press: At least Trump is ‘willing to answer questions’

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and CNN anchor John Berman sparred Tuesday over which 2024 presidential candidate has the biggest problems dealing with the press.

Schmitt attacked Vice President Harris’ lack of coherence in previous occasions talking to the press, saying that’s why she has avoided interviews so far in her campaign. Berman slammed the point, stating that even if former President Trump talks to the press, he makes things up. However, both agreed the Democratic nominee needs to take questions at some point.

“We’d like to ask questions,” Berman admitted to Schmitt during the latest episode of “CNN News Central.”

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Berman teed up the squabble, stating, “But you said that you’re not sure that Vice President Harris would be coherent in an interview. Did you watch former President Trump’s news conference last week? Would you characterize – would one of the first words that comes to mind be coherent?”

Liberal media outlets and Trump’s critics have widely criticized Trump’s press conference that he gave from his Mar-a-Lago residence last Thursday. NPR reported that during the event, Trump promoted a “host of false things,” and more than 150 “misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies.” The Associated Press claimed it was “riddled with false and misleading statements.”

Schmitt dodged answering about Trump’s performance and replied by arguing that the former president is the only person willing to confront the press in an unscripted setting.

“I think his ability to stand in front of a hostile media and answer questions for over an hour is something I would love to see Kamala Harris try to do,” he said.

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“No question,” Berman conceded. The senator continued, saying that Harris refuses to do interviews because “her record is indefensible.” 

Berman then admitted, “We would absolutely like to ask her questions.” Still, the host pointed out a moment in Trump’s presser that he thought seemed emblematic of Trump’s own incoherence.

“But Donald Trump, when he tells stories about people in helicopters that he was not with, helicopters that did not crash and conversations that did not happen, how incoherent is that?” Berman asked. 

In their reports on his presser, both AP and NPR specifically pointed out that the account Trump gave that he was almost in a helicopter crash with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown years ago never happened, or if it did, it was Trump riding with a different person – maybe former California Gov. Jerry Brown, as AP theorized.

Schmitt replied to Berman’s question about Trump anecdotes by saying that Trump’s the only one taking questions. 

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“Again, he‘s the only candidate running for President of the United States willing to stand in front of the media and answer questions. Kamala Harris refuses to do it. And, you know, she‘s got a TIME Magazine cover that came out today. She refused to do the interview for the puff piece,” he said.

Harris’ orbit has been defiant and even gleeful about avoiding the press and keeping policy positions vague, all while Harris has blatantly shifted views on a variety of significant topics.

“Why would we start talking about policy?” a prominent Democrat told Politico Playbook this week. “We’re actually better off just running on this real wave of enthusiasm and energy… It’s the best thing [Harris] can do.”