Ramaswamy confronts CNN host who defends Harris’ policy flip flops: ‘Actions speak louder than words’

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy sparred with CNN anchor Kate Bolduan over Vice President Kamala Harris’s flip-flop politics after a new poll found some voters perceive Harris as less radical than her GOP opponent , former President Trump.

Bolduan presented the CNN poll, which found that nearly 50 percent of likely voters in six battleground states said Trump’s views were “so extreme that they are a threat,” and about 40 percent of voters in each of those states said said the same about Harris’ views.

“If voters don’t buy into the extreme narrative against (Harris), do you think the Trump team should change now?” she asked.

Ramaswamy said he “respectfully disagreed” with that approach, arguing that voters had not been exposed to Harris’ far-left record by the media.

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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., Monday, Sept. 2, 2024. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Voters have not yet been exposed, mainly through the media, to what Kamala Harris’ past positions actually are,” Ramaswamy said. “I don’t blame the voters. They’ve been given a new version of Kamala Harris, where she’s running for the center on economic and social policy. But the reality is that if we can use Kamala Harris’ own words against her, as I think we should, she ran for president in favor of the unrealized capital gains tax, in favor of “elimination” – her words – to end private health insurance, ban fracking, ban offshore drilling policies that are absolutely not mainstream for most Americans “.

Bolduan defended Harris’ shifting positions, saying he “made it clear” to CNN’s Dana Bash last week that he no longer supports banning private health insurance or fracking.

“Those are not her positions,” Bolduan said. “If you evolve on an issue … you can even call it ‘flip-flopping’ on an issue, if that’s not allowed now, if that’s supposed to be the bellwether of a campaign, Donald Trump is in trouble.”

Ramaswamy argued that Harris has not only “evolved” from her previous far-left views on several issues, but is retreating from the political actions she has taken throughout her political career.

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U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, get off their campaign bus in Savannah, Georgia, August 28, 2024, as they travel through Georgia for a two-day bus tour campaign. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

“Actions speak louder than words,” he said.

“She said she’s not in favor of banning fracking now, the reality is she was one of the strongest supporters of that ban, so much so that when she was in California she sued the Obama administration for granting fracking permits”. he continued. “She didn’t just favor the abolition of private health insurance. She co-sponsored the Medicare-for-all bill with Bernie Sanders as a US senator. The reality is, when you think about the Green New Deal, she was the main proponent, not just as a co-sponsor of the legislation, but she went ahead and said she would end the filibuster in the Senate to get it through The reality is that he can say what he wants to say now, these are the actions he has taken.”

“Is anyone allowed to evolve?” he returned to Bolduan’s question. “Of course I am, but she deserves to explain exactly why she changed those positions. Exactly what her position is. If it’s not a ban on fracking, what is it? What exactly is her health care plan if she no longer is in favor of abolishing private health insurance?

Harris ended her media drought last week by giving her first interview with CNN’s Dana Bash since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee 45 days ago. However, she has yet to hold an official press conference or do any more interviews. Former President Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have conducted at least 37 interviews between them in the past month.

Ramaswamy said he hopes voters will get to see more of Harris’ policies when he does more media interviews and at next week’s ABC presidential debate.

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Former President Trump and Vice President Harris. (Getty Images)

“The American people and the electorate deserve a rich political debate that they haven’t had with Kamala,” Ramaswamy said.

Bolduan continued to press Ramaswamy on whether it is acceptable for a candidate to change positions over time.

“It’s not just a change of position,” Ramaswamy said. “These are real tough positions that she’s actually taken policy action on, both as vice president and attorney general and as a U.S. senator.”