Biden Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, a top surrogate for Vice President Kamala Harris, was called out during an interview this week over Harris’ refusal to answer questions and give access to the media.
Raimondo claimed during a CNBC interview Monday that Harris has been “crystal clear on her values, what she wants to fight for, and how she will do it.”
Her claim comes despite the fact that Harris has allegedly flip-flopped on numerous issues, according to what anonymous sources on her campaign tell friendly mainstream publications.
CNBC host Joe Kernen fired back at Raimondo: “The American people are frustrated, the media is frustrated that the amount of access anyone has got to her for the past 41 days, I know you’ve seen that, we’re finally going to have a debate tomorrow night, but she sat down for one interview that was taped, and then cut down and certain little things came out from it, but it has been a masterclass in avoiding any questions and nothing has been made clear by her.”
“Maybe it’s been made clear in drubs and drabs from her policymakers when it comes out in print or off a teleprompter at one of her scripted speeches,” he added. “She’s been impossible to pin down on anything because she hasn’t given any access. The American people deserve it.”
Harris has faced widespread criticism, even from friendly publications, over her refusal to sit for any kind of a live interview or answer any serious questions from a legitimate reporter, not a partisan commentator like CNN’s Dana Bash.
WATCH:
WATCH: CNBC’s Joe Kernen calls out top Harris surrogate Gina Raimondo after she claims Kamala “has been crystal clear!”
KERNEN: “She hasn’t talked to the press, Gina… She has been impossible to pin down on anything.” pic.twitter.com/GsLn9CvjhE
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) September 9, 2024
Raimondo was called out during a live interview last month for falsely suggesting that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made up numbers that were released by President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job growth throughout the 12 months ending in March would be revised downward by 818,000 jobs, a hefty drop that is roughly equivalent to 0.5% of total jobs. The downward revision was the largest in decades.
When asked during an ABC News interview whether the damaging jobs report could hurt Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, Raimondo responded: “No, when I hear that, first of all, I don’t believe it because I have never heard Donald Trump saying anything truthful.”
The ABC News host quickly interjected: “It is, though, from the Bureau of Labor.”
“I don’t, I don’t, I’m not familiar with that,” Raimondo claimed.
Related: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Suggests Trump Made Up Numbers That Biden’s Labor Dept Released