Kamala Harris Lashed Out at CNN’s Anderson Cooper After 2024 Interview

Kamala Harris Reportedly Clashed with CNN’s Anderson Cooper After Heated Interview on Biden’s Debate Performance

A new political book reveals that former Vice President Kamala Harris allegedly lashed out at CNN anchor Anderson Cooper behind the scenes following a tense interview in the wake of President Joe Biden’s poor 2024 debate performance.

In Original Sin, a forthcoming book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, Harris is said to have privately criticized Cooper in strong terms. According to excerpts, she referred to the CNN host as a “motherf*er”** after feeling disrespected during the interview.

“This motherf*er doesn’t treat me like the damn vice president of the United States,”** Harris reportedly told colleagues. She also expressed disappointment in the network, saying, “I thought we were better than that,” suggesting she had expected more deference from CNN.

The interview, which aired in June 2024, came just days after President Biden’s performance in a debate against Donald Trump raised widespread concern within the Democratic Party. During the segment, Cooper pressed Harris on reports that some Democrat lawmakers viewed the debate as a “disaster” and a “trainwreck.”

He questioned Biden’s ability to counter Trump’s claims effectively and noted the president appeared low-energy and disconnected throughout the event. Harris, in response, brushed off the criticism, urging voters to focus on Biden’s “substance” and presidential accomplishments, rather than what she framed as temporary optics.

She defended Biden’s record as “historic” and dismissed claims of mental decline, even as Cooper reminded her that she had debated Biden herself in 2020 and that he now seemed like a “very different person.” Harris interrupted, saying she didn’t want to dwell on “90 minutes” of debate compared to Biden’s “three-and-a-half years” in office.

As the interview went on, Harris appeared increasingly frustrated, sidestepping direct questions about Biden’s cognitive fitness, a topic that had become more prominent in both the media and political circles.

Public concerns over Biden’s mental sharpness had been mounting for years. His occasional confused behavior, frail demeanor, and hesitation in public speeches fueled speculation about his ability to serve a second term.

Back in 2022, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed a similar question from CNN’s Don Lemon, who asked whether Biden had the stamina for another campaign. Jean-Pierre reacted strongly, saying, “That is not a question that we should be even asking,” and defended Biden’s leadership and energy.

However, the debate performance only intensified these concerns. In early 2023, Special Counsel Robert Hur decided not to prosecute Biden over mishandling classified documents but notably described him as a “sympathetic elderly man with a poor memory.”

The Hur report was widely seen as damaging, reinforcing narratives about Biden’s cognitive decline. Jean-Pierre pushed back against the report’s language, calling it “gratuitous,” “unacceptable,” and “not grounded in reality.”

Despite repeated reassurances from the White House, questions lingered throughout Biden’s second term about who was truly steering policy decisions. The administration often leaned on Vice President Harris and senior cabinet members to do damage control and reassure both the public and party leadership.

The Cooper-Harris interview—and her alleged reaction afterward—captures the growing tension within the administration and the Democratic Party over President Biden’s age, fitness, and political future. It also highlights the frustration Harris reportedly felt over being undercut by media figures, even at traditionally sympathetic outlets like CNN.

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