Harsh criticism was leveled at CNN’s Dana Bash after her interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris aired Thursday night, with critics slamming Bash’s “softball questions” and her attempts to provide answers for Harris within her questions.
Before the interview aired, CNN hosts tried to promote the interview as if Harris would be asked tough questions; CNN host Richard Quest declared, “Vice President Harris is in the hot seat on a bus tour in Georgia. She’s sitting down with our own Dana Bash alongside her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, in what’s the first exclusive interview with the Democratic Party presidential team since the historic switch from President Biden.”
CNN correspondent Eva McKend gushed, “This is a real test now, how she can do when pressed on certain issues.”
But it was anything but that, as Bash asked questions such as the following, in which she offered Harris possible answers to the very questions being asked:
Generally speaking, how should voters look at some of the changes that you’ve made — that you explained some of here — in your policy? Is it because you have more experience now and you’ve learned more about the information? Is it because you’re running for president in a Democratic primary?
Or questions such as these:
I just have to ask you both about two standout moments, aside of course from the addresses that you both gave, but standout moments that were perhaps unexpected during the convention. You mentioned one of them, governor, a moment that you shared, that the world shared with your son, Gus. You were speaking. The camera caught him so incredibly proud of you, so emotional, saying, “That’s my dad.”
To Harris: The photograph that has gone viral. You were speaking. One of your grand-nieces that you were just talking about was watching you accept the nomination. You didn’t explicitly talk about gender or race in your speech. But it obviously means a lot to a lot of people. And that viral picture really says it. What does it mean to you?
Bash asked Harris about her changing her position on banning fracking and Harris spoke about her “values,” saying, “My values have not changed.”
Bash asked Harris, “You insisted that President Biden is extraordinarily strong. Given where we are now, do you have any regrets about what you told the American people?”
“No, not at all. Not at all, “Harris answered, before continuing, “He is so smart and — and loyal to the American people. And I have spent hours upon hours with him, be it in the Oval Office or the Situation Room. He has the intelligence, the commitment, and the judgment and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president.”
Yet Bash wouldn’t follow up with the obvious question: Then why did you replace him?
These are softball questions and she’s still finding a way to word salad them.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 30, 2024
Dana Bash’s lack of follow-up to virtually any difficult question was egregious tonight. A full-scale betrayal of her supposed journalistic profession. A half-dozen easy follow-ups would have totally fried Kamala’s circuits. Bash knew it, which is why she didn’t do it.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 30, 2024
Not a single Q on the Emotional Support Governor’s RADICAL trans policies.
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 30, 2024
No Qs on the Emotional Support Governor abandoning his unit as they deployed to Iraq, or to his false claims of holding a rank he did not earn, over and over and over again for 20 years including to this day
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 30, 2024
The exchange on the border! The LIES she was allowed to offer, unchallenged. Breathtaking.
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) August 30, 2024
A competent journalist would ask any of 15 tough follow-up questions. Instead, we had the propagandist @DanaBashCNN https://t.co/OGhbpvp03v
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 30, 2024
How was there not a single question on Ukraine, China, or the cartels
— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) August 30, 2024
