CNN host Jake Tapper repeatedly backed Biden campaign spokesperson Kate Bedingfield into a corner on Sunday morning over the Biden campaign’s recent remarks, or lack thereof, on the issue of court-packing.
Tapper played comments from Biden where the Democratic presidential candidate falsely claimed that what the Senate was doing by moving to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was “not constitutional.”
“How is it not constitutional what they’re doing?” Tapper asked.
“His point is that the people have an opportunity to weigh in on this constitutional process through their vote,” Bedingfield claimed. “And we are now in the midst of the election. Millions of people have already cast their votes. And you see that the vast majority of people say that they want the person who wins the election on November 3 to nominate the justice to take this seat.”
“That’s a poll,” Tapper mocked. “That’s not the Constitution.”
“So, by trying to — by trying to — that is their — there’s the constitutional process of advise and consent,” she said. “The American people get to have their say by voting for president, by voting for senators. We are now 23 days from the election.”
“Right, but it’s not unconstitutional,” Tapper responded.
“Again, millions of — millions of votes, millions of votes, they’re being — voters are being denied their constitutional right to have a say in this process,” she claimed.
“They elected the Senate,” Tapper laughed.
“The Republicans are trying to ram through — are trying to ram through a nominee, who, by the way, is going to change the makeup of the court,” she claimed. “And we see time and time again, poll after poll shows that most Americans vehemently disagree with this.”
“Again, Kate, that’s a poll,” Tapper fired back. “That’s not what the word constitutional means. Constitutional doesn’t mean, I like it or I don’t like it. It means, it’s according to the U.S. Constitution. There’s nothing unconstitutional about what the U.S. Senate is doing.”
WATCH:
Tapper’s facial expressions are a journey here.
pic.twitter.com/rHUiNX2WKC— Alex Thompson (@AlxThomp) October 11, 2020
Tapper continued grilling the struggling Biden spokesperson on court-packing, having to remind her that CNN gets “to ask Democrats questions, too.”
“And this is a simple — it’s a simple question. And it’s one, frankly, that Trump did not invent. It came from the progressives in the Democratic Party,” Tapper said. “And I thought it was odd when Vice President Biden said the other day, in response to a reporter’s question, that voters do not deserve an answer on this. Of course voters deserve an answer on his position on every issue.”
“Well, we’re not going to play their game,” Bedingfield claimed, ignoring the fact that Tapper had just pointed out that the issue was coming from the political Left. “He’s given an answer. He’s answered the question. I mean, he has probably answered this question 15 times over the course of the last week. The answer is: I am not going to play Donald Trump’s game.”
“[Alright],” Tapper laughed.
“I am not going to allow the terms of this debate to shift to a hypothetical that assumes, by the way, that we, the Democrats, are going to lose here,” Bedingfield claimed. However, the issue of court-packing did not arise because of the assumption that Democrats might lose, it came up because it was a hypothetical of what Democrats might do if they win.
“I mean, that’s really — that’s what’s at the core of this argument they’re making. It assumes that we’re going to lose,” she continued to falsely claim. “Vice President Biden doesn’t accept that. He does not accept that. He’s focused on turning people out to vote, making sure their voice is heard, and making sure that they have a say in who the next Supreme Court justice is.”
“All right, well, I think a serious policy question is not a game, and I don’t think it’s Trump’s game,” Tapper noted. “But, Kate Bedingfield, we always appreciate you coming on the show and answering the questions or deftly sidestepping them.”
WATCH:
CNN’s Jake Tapper calls out Biden deputy campaign manager on Joe Biden refusing to answer if he would pack the Supreme Court: “of course voters deserve an answer” pic.twitter.com/z6a0LaNycp
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 11, 2020