Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about recent reports concerning Donald Trump’s interactions with Vladimir Putin during her appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
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| Vice President Kamala Harris on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.' Scott Kowalchyk/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
In journalist Bob Woodward’s newly published book, an unnamed aide revealed that Trump has had conversations with Putin as many as seven times since leaving the White House. Other claims mentioned that Trump sent COVID tests to Putin while he was in office, during the peak of the pandemic.
Harris admitted that she has not yet read the book but stated, “Donald Trump—he openly admires dictators and authoritarians. He has expressed a desire to be a dictator on Day One if he is elected president again. He gets manipulated by these figures. He admires so-called strongmen and gets played because they flatter him or do him favors.”
She addressed the reports about the COVID tests directly, asking, “I want everyone here and everyone watching to think back: Do you remember what those days were like? You recall how many people didn’t have tests and were trying to scramble to get them?”
Her frustration grew as she continued to discuss her opponent’s ties to Russia, stating, “The commander-in-chief of the United States of America must be strong and uphold the principles we cherish. We should stand by our allies.
We must reinforce our alliances, like NATO, the strongest military alliance the world has ever seen. We need to support our friend Ukraine, where Russia is trying to forcibly alter borders.”
Harris added, “And this man is giving COVID test kits to Vladimir Putin? Consider what that signifies, on top of sending love letters to Kim Jong Un… He thinks, well, that’s his friend. What about the American people? They should be your top priority.”
In another part of the interview, Colbert inquired about Hurricane Helene, which recently devastated North Carolina, and Hurricane Milton, a serious storm heading toward Florida. Harris urged people to listen to local officials and criticized politicians who “lie” for political gain.
“It’s crude,” she said. “Do you have no empathy for the suffering of others? Do you lack a sense of purpose if you claim to be a leader?”
Regarding the Israel-Hamas war, Harris explained her previous statement that she and President Biden are nearing a ceasefire agreement. “Close means that a lot of details have been worked out, but some details still remain,” she said. “So there has been some progress, but it’s meaningless unless a deal is actually made, so I don’t want to suggest that we should be applauded for getting close to a deal.”
The Vice President also reflected on her debate performance and commented on the viral image of herself resting her chin on her hand. When Colbert asked what she was thinking at that moment, she replied, “It’s family TV, right? It starts with a W, there’s a letter in between, and then the last letter is F.”
Together with the late-night host, Harris opened a can of Miller High Life and said, “The last time I had beer was at a baseball game with Doug [Emhoff].”
After opening the drink, Harris commented about her opponent, “He lost millions of jobs. He lost manufacturing. You lost automotive plants; you lost the election. What does that make you? A loser. This is what someone at my rallies said. I found it amusing.”
She added with a laugh, “This is what happens when I drink beer.”
Regarding the whirlwind campaign that only began in July following Joe Biden’s withdrawal, Harris remarked, “There’s a lot of catching up to do. My opponent, the former president, has been campaigning since 2020… People are tired of that old, worn-out playbook of Donald Trump’s… Folks are ready to turn the page.”
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