Tense moment Kamala Harris snaps at ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson as she is grilled on why she didn’t raise the alarm over Joe Biden’s mental state
Former US presidential candidate Kamala Harris clashed with an ABC reporter over Joe Biden’s cognitive decline.
Australian journalist Sarah Ferguson shared the tense exchange with Harris during a half-hour interview for the ABC’s 7.30 nightly current affairs program, which airs on Wednesday night.
The interview took place in London, where the former Vice President was promoting his memoir, 107 Days, a reference to his unusually short campaign.
Harris ran for the White House in July 2024 after former President Biden withdrew his own candidacy due to concerns about perceived cognitive decline.
Ferguson criticized Harris for her refusal to link Biden’s late withdrawal to his own unsuccessful campaign for office.
‘But then, Joe Biden, wasn’t it because he refused to admit his own weaknesses that you faced an almost impossible task?’ Ferguson asked.
Harris went on to explain that when Ferguson spoke, she was faced with a number of factors, including Donald Trump’s ‘misrepresentation of his intentions to the American people’.
‘I want to interrupt you because this is a world-class center,’ Ferguson said.
Kamala Harris (pictured) clashed with ABC reporter Sarah Ferguson in a tense debate about her failed presidential bid. He was in London to promote his campaign memoir 107 Days
ABC’s 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson (pictured) criticized the former presidential candidate over the impact of Joe Biden’s last-minute withdrawal on his own bid for the top office
The ABC host then tried to steer the discussion back to what he had originally asked.
‘The question I ask you is about Joe Biden’s failure to recognize his own weaknesses and what that does to you.
‘The question is about Joe Biden; Are you still reluctant to criticize the former president?’
Harris asked the journalist to clarify his question before insisting that Biden ‘is not weak as President of the United States’.
“But he had his weaknesses, we all saw the argument,” Ferguson said.
Harris said Biden endured a brutal travel schedule leading up to the debate as he campaigned for re-election and lead the country, and that she never doubted his capacity as president.
The interview continued with Ferguson then saying that it was ‘clear from the outside’ that America appeared to be experiencing an ‘authoritarian revolution’ under Trump.
The comment sparked immediate backlash online, with viewers of the show accusing Ferguson and the public broadcaster of bias.
Joe Biden speaks during the Presidential Debate in Atlanta on June 27, 2024
Presenter Sarah Ferguson says the US appears to be experiencing an ‘authoritarian revolution’
But this is a point the former Vice President has made in the past.
In a recent interview with the BBC, he claimed that his warnings that Trump would behave like a fascist and authoritarian had been proven true.
“He said he was going to weaponize the Department of Justice, and he did just that,” he told the broadcaster.
Trump recently talked about potentially running for a third term in the White House, which is not allowed under the Constitution, but suggested there were ‘ways around that.’
When asked in the ABC interview whether Biden could serve another term, Harris insisted he was ‘capable’ of serving as president but admitted she had ‘concerns’ about his ability to endure the campaign.
‘I talk about this extensively in the book. I don’t shy away from that,” Harris said.
He also acknowledged that it was “careless” on his part not to dissuade Biden from running for a second term, and concluded that it was a mistake.
‘I asked myself: Was this my grace or my indifference? “And I think that’s reckless,” he said.
Harris refused to rule out another presidential bid in the half-hour interview, simply replying: ‘We’ll see if I choose to run.’
Harris also declined to enter the draw when asked how she felt about Biden’s insistence that he would have won office had he finished his campaign.
‘Does it make you angry that former president Biden still says he will win?’ Ferguson asked.
Harris replied simply: ‘I’m focused on the present.’
As for what her future will bring, Harris rejected the possibility of running for a second term.
When asked if he believed American voters were ‘keen’ for Harris’ presidency despite losing his previous bid, he replied: ‘If I choose to run away, we’ll see.’
