CNN Fake Interview of Kamala Deserves an Oscar for Empty Propaganda

Summary

Summary of "CNN Fake Interview of Kamala Deserves an Oscar for Empty Propaganda"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson
• Host/Author: Premiere Networks
• Episode Title: CNN Fake Interview of Kamala Deserves an Oscar for Empty Propaganda
• Release Date: August 30, 2024
• Description: Hosted by Ben Ferguson, the podcast delves into the latest news and political headlines, focusing on the President's administration, policies, and agenda. This episode critically examines a recent CNN interview with Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, arguing that it was more propaganda than genuine journalism.

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1. Introduction: Setting the Stage

Ben Ferguson opens the episode by addressing the recent CNN interview with Kamala Harris, labeling it as deceptive and propagandistic. Joined by Senator Ted Cruz, they set out to dissect the interview, highlighting its shortcomings and implications for the media landscape and the upcoming presidential election.

2. The Nature of the CNN Interview

Ben Ferguson (00:01):

"The babysitting interview took place and it started with CNN lying by having the word live up on the screen while the interview was taped. You can't make that up, can you?"

Senator Ted Cruz (00:15):

"Call it an interview is actually false advertising... this was a Harris presidential campaign ad... it was purely propaganda."

Ferguson and Cruz argue that CNN's interview was scripted and lacked journalistic integrity, resembling a campaign advertisement rather than an objective journalistic endeavor. They criticize CNN for not holding Harris accountable and for facilitating her campaign narrative.

3. Breakdown of the Interview: Key Issues Addressed

A. Fracking and Energy Policies

Senator Ted Cruz (04:24):

"Kamala has done zero interviews prior to this one. Then this one, her campaign reached out and presumably asked every network who will do the softest interview... What the hell are you going to do in office?"

Discussion: Cruz criticizes Harris's vague responses about strengthening the middle class, viewing them as empty statements without concrete policy plans. He highlights her flip-flop on fracking, questioning her commitment and consistency.

Notable Exchange (10:59 – 12:36):

• Dana Bash (10:59): "Do you still want to ban fracking?"
• Kamala Harris (11:24): "No. I made that Clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president."
• Senator Ted Cruz (12:01): Points out Harris's lack of tangible achievements in clean energy, questioning the effectiveness of her policies.

B. Border Policy and Immigration

Senator Ted Cruz (26:08):

"She was the border czar... Kamala Harris was in charge of this invasion. It happened on her watch."

Discussion: Cruz attacks Harris's record on immigration, accusing her of failing to enforce laws and allowing a significant increase in illegal immigration. He criticizes CNN for not probing deeper into these issues, framing the interview as a missed opportunity to challenge Harris on her administration's shortcomings.

C. Bidenomics and Economic Policies

Ben Ferguson (31:00):

"When you look at this interview... Biden Nomics has been a disaster."

Discussion: The hosts argue that Harris falsely praises Biden's economic policies, despite widespread economic challenges. They assert that CNN allowed Harris to tout policies like the Inflation Reduction Act without addressing the real-world impacts, such as rising costs and job losses in certain sectors.

D. Foreign Policy and Support for Israel

Senator Ted Cruz (36:33):

"No question there was no question about Ukraine... No word about that."

Discussion: Ferguson and Cruz express disappointment that Hulu didn't question Harris on critical foreign policy issues, including support for Israel and sanctions against Iran. They believe CNN avoided tough questions that could expose weaknesses in Harris's foreign policy stance.

4. Comparison with Traditional Journalism

Senator Ted Cruz (07:29):

"Imagine if Tim Russert had done this interview, how massively, totally different it was."

Discussion: Cruz contrasts CNN's approach with that of legendary journalist Tim Russert, who was known for his tough, accountability-driven interviews. He suggests that genuine journalism should involve rigorous questioning and fact-checking, which he claims was absent in the CNN interview.

5. Impact on the Presidential Election

Senator Ted Cruz (22:05):

"This interview did absolutely nothing to impact the presidential election in November... If it is all about Hopi changey joy and Trump derangement syndrome, then Kamala could win."

Discussion: The hosts argue that the interview failed to sway undecided voters or impact the election significantly. They contend that the narrative propagated by CNN benefits Harris by providing her with a platform to present pre-approved talking points without facing real challenges.

6. Analysis of Governor Tim Walz Segment

Ben Ferguson (19:00):

"Tim Walz... he did things like sabotaging energy jobs..."

Discussion: Cruz criticizes Governor Tim Walz's presence during the interview, labeling him as an ineffective vice-presidential candidate who was more a prop for emotional support than a substantive participant. They argue that his responses were generic and failed to address serious policy concerns.

7. Thematic Critique: Propaganda vs. Journalism

Senator Ted Cruz (46:49):

"What you consider propaganda is not journalism."

Discussion: Cruz and Ferguson assert that the CNN interview was designed to perpetuate the Democratic narrative rather than seek the truth. They argue that such interviews undermine the role of media as a watchdog and instead serve political agendas.

8. Conclusion: Final Thoughts and Implications

Senator Ted Cruz (44:33):

"If this election is on Kamala's record and Donald Trump's record, if this election is on the issues, we win."

Discussion: Cruz emphasizes the importance of focusing on substantive policy issues rather than media-driven narratives. He believes that the true path to victory lies in addressing voters' real concerns and holding candidates accountable for their records.

Final Remarks by Ben Ferguson (46:49):

"When the fake interviews like this are done, don't worry. We're always here to analyze it and let you know what happened."

Ferguson concludes by reassuring listeners that the podcast will continue to provide critical analysis of media and political events, encouraging them to stay informed and engaged.

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Key Takeaways:

• Critique of Media Integrity: Ferguson and Cruz argue that CNN's interview with Kamala Harris lacked genuine journalistic rigor, serving more as a campaign tool than an objective interview.
• Policy Accountability: They emphasize the need for media to hold political figures accountable by thoroughly examining their records and challenging inconsistent statements.
• Election Impact: The hosts believe that media-driven narratives often obscure substantive policy discussions, which are crucial for informed voting decisions.
• Call to Action: Encourages listeners to seek out reliable information and remain critical of media practices that prioritize political agendas over factual reporting.

Notable Quotes:

• Senator Ted Cruz (00:15): "This was not news. ... it was part of the Kamala Harris campaign."
• Senator Ted Cruz (04:24): "Kamala's answer... was like what? Like she gave this word salad answer."
• Senator Ted Cruz (26:08): "Kamala Harris was in charge of this invasion. It happened on her watch."
• Senator Ted Cruz (46:49): "What you consider propaganda is not journalism."

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This episode serves as a comprehensive critique of what Ferguson and Cruz perceive as media complicity in promoting political agendas, using the CNN interview with Kamala Harris as a case study. They advocate for more accountable and rigorous journalism to ensure voters receive truthful and substantive information.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

Welcome Verdict with Senator Ted Cruz. Ben Ferguson with you, Senator. The babysitting interview took place and it started with CNN lying by having the word live up on the screen while the interview was taped. You can't make that up, can you?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Well, you can't, but, but to call it an interview is, is actually false advertising that this was a, a Harris presidential campaign ad. They hired a situation actor named Dana Bash to read the Kamala Harris talking points to her and then she repeated them back at her. I have to say this interview, and we're break it down, we're going to break it down systematically. But this interview was embarrassing. Like everybody at cnn, whoever thought they were a journalist, every producer, every reporter, every host ought to be collectively embarrassed because this was not news. Can you imag if Tim Russert had done this interview, how massively, totally different it was. This was Dana Bash. The interview would not have been different if Kamala Harris had seated her own press secretary to ask her the questions. The same questions would have been asked. It was embarrassing, but it was pure propaganda. It actually is what RFK Jr said when he endorsed Trump. The press is the, is the media organ of the Democrat campaign. CNN were not journalists tonight. They were part of the Kamala Harris campaign. And anyone watching it. It was embarrassing.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, it really was. Want to tell you quickly about our friends at the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And I say this because many of you are just incredible patriots and you are standing with the people in Israel. We're quickly approaching the one year anniversary of the horrific Hamas attack on Is and still the Holy Land continues to be attacked on multiple fronts. Deadly threats are increasing in northern Israel. They're still dealing with constant rocket attacks from Hezbollah that have been fired at Israel causing widespread damage with raging wildfires destroying precious farmland. Since the war started, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has been on the front lines in Israel addressing the needs of of the most vulnerable people there. That's why I have partnered with IFCJ and many of you have already given life saving donations that are helping provide emergency food as well as critical security needs such as flat jackets, firefighting equipment, armored vehicles that include armored ambulances that have already gone into hot areas and saved people's lives. It is amazing to see the donations and how they're being used. They've also put in bomb shelters and much more. Now we're asking for 500 of you to join the Fellowship and me by donating $150 to help meet the urgent security needs of the Jewish people. Now thanks to a generous IFCJ donor, your gift will be matched, meaning it's going to double your impact in the Holy Land. Now, to make your gift right now and to help the people in Israel and to say, I stand with the people in Israel, call 888-488-IFCJ. That's 888-488-IFCj or 4325, or go online and you can donate securely there at supportifcj.org to give. That's one word. Supportifcj.org Israel needs your support now more than ever. Senator, let's go back to the very beginning. CNN was promoting the crap out of this interview wall to wall all day long with the, you know, just everything was about this big day. And that it right there, I think tells you just how messed up this race is and how messed up the media is. It should not be a must see TV moment for the person who's running for president of the United States of America to do a damn interview.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, look, I mean, it's been over a month since she was the presumptive nominee. Kamala Harris has done zero interviews prior to this one. None whatsoever. Then this one, her campaign reached out and presumably asked every network who will do the softest interview, who will give us the most softballs, who will not push us, who will make sure Kamala is protected. And you know what? Winter, winter chicken dinner. CNN stepped up and said, we have no journalistic integrity whatsoever. We are happy to be part of the Kamala Harris campaign. So Dana Bash won. You look at this interview, the opening question. You know, the nation is so excited to hear what you're going to do as president? Breathlessly, oh, it's like a group. Oh, we're so excited. Oh, we're so excited. What are you going to do as president? Please tell us, what are you going to do on day one? Now then, let me start by saying this is not a difficult question for most candidates for office. This is not a surprise question. This is not an unexpected question. What the hell are you going to do in office? Is pretty simple and basic. Kamala's answer, I'm going to strengthen the middle class. What? Like what? Like she gave this word salad answer about fortify the middle class. That is not actually anything the president does on day one or any day thereafter. Like it actually meant nothing. And so Dana Bash didn't point out. Yeah, you didn't answer my question at all. But she did at least repeat the question for a moment that there was a tiny bit of being a question. She said, okay, so what are you gonna do on day one? And again, Kamala has no answer. And let me give. Look, the fundamental disconnect in this fake interview was the same as the fundamental disconnect in Kamala's convention speech, which is the entire Kamala Harris campaign is pretending she's the candidate of change and is ignoring. It is utterly divorced from reality that she's the sitting vice president, that Joe Biden is the sitting president today right now. So, by the way, the question, what are you gonna do on day one? Is a weird question for any VP running to succeed a president, because the way VP's running to succeed presidents run is they say, hey, we've had a great record. Here's what we've done in office. We're gonna continue these policies, we're gonna grow these policies, but we're running on our success. Kamala, she's claiming that she is gonna turn the page. She's gonna change. There's an exchange later in the interview where she says, we're gonna put the past decade behind us. The past decade. She and Joe Biden have been president and vice president for four years. And by the way, before Trump, Obama was president for eight years. Like it is. We're gonna put this horrible decade behind us all but four years of which the Democrats have been in charge of the White House.

[Ben Ferguson]

There was a moment in this conversation as I was watching it tonight, and I. And I was sitting there, and Joe Concha over at Fox came on. He had a great way of putting it after he was fact checking Harris on her fracking, for example, flip flop. And he said, harris is a human Chernobyl when you take out the teleprompter. And that really is what it was. It was a train wreck. But at the same time, Senator, train wrecks don't mean what they used to mean. Like, the only way that there is accountability for doing a bad interview or having a bad moment is if it's as bad as Joe Biden in the first debate. I think Democrats probably look at this and they're like, ah, it wasn't that bad.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

No, Democrats are happy. Democrats are very happy. And I actually don't think it was a train wreck for Kamala Harris. I think it was a train wreck for cnn. This was not an interview. This is a campaign commercial. And you know what? They did fine for a campaign commercial. So on questions, Kamala would say something like, strengthen the middle class. I'm just gonna. I'm gonna lift people up, not p. I'm going to go forward, not backwards. I'm going to hope he change. Not, not, not saddy hurt. Like there was a bunch of vapid empty statements. And it would be a train wreck if there had been a journalist in the room because a journalist in the room would point out the actual record. So she flip flops on fracking. And you know, Dana Bash so gently. Well, you said you would cancel fracking. Well, no, no, I changed my mind in 2020. Why? Well, I did. Why? Well, I did. Why? So there was no question about Biden and Harris's record. So, for example, the fracking thing. All right, you want to ask about energy? Okay, Dana, here's a rocket, rocket scientist idea. Ask about the disastrous record of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on energy. Kamala, why on the first day in office did Joe Biden and your administration cancel the Keystone pipeline? Kamala, why? Why did Joe Biden and your administration shut down oil and gas leasing on federal lands? Why did your administration shut down offshore drilling? Kamala, why did your administration ban new permits, new export permits for liquid natural gas? Why do you not want America to produce oil and gas? Why have you implemented over 90 different executive orders, regulations designed to destroy jobs in oil and gas? That would be an actual reporter, by the way. Tim Russert would have played the clips one after the other. Well, here's you doing this. Here's you doing this. Here's you doing this. And she'd say, well, no, no, we're gonna, we're gonna just, you know, help the middle class. Well, what about all the middle class jobs you destroyed? That's actually an interview. An interview that is based on facts. None of those words came out of.

[Ben Ferguson]

The new word Dana Bash's mouth. The new word for flip flopping is clarify. And you mentioned this, so let's play part of it again. CNN lying to you on screen, saying, this is live, it's nighttime. But if you look at the setting where they were doing the interview, it's daytime, outside. So seen an exclusive. Let's lie the American people just on the premise of the interview. But then this was the question.

[Dana Bash]

I want to get some clarity on where you stand on some key policy issues. Energy is a big one. When you were in Congress, you supported the green New deal. And in 2019, you said, quote, there is no question I'm in favor of banning fracking. Fracking, as you know, is a pretty big issue, particularly in your must win state of Pennsylvania. Do you still want to ban fracking?

[Kamala Harris]

No. And I made that Clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president. I did not ban fracking as president. I will not ban fracking in 2019.

[Dana Bash]

I believe in a town hall. You said you were asked, would you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking on your first day in office? And you said, there's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking. So, yes. So it changed in that campaign in 2020.

[Kamala Harris]

I made very clear where I stand. We are in 2024 and I've not changed that position, nor will I going forward. I kept my word and I will keep my word.

[Dana Bash]

What made you change that position at the time?

[Kamala Harris]

Well, let's be clear, my values have not changed. I believe it is very important that we take seriously what we must do to guard against what is a clear crisis in terms of the climate. And to do that, we can do what we have accomplished thus far, the Inflation Reduction act, what we have done to invest, by my calculation, over probably $1 trillion over the next 10 years, investing in a clean energy economy. What we've already done, creating over 300,000 new clean energy jobs.

[Ben Ferguson]

By the way, I just had to stop there, Senator, and go back. How much money did they get from the American people to build, to build a bunch of charging stations they were going to build all over the country. And we built, I think.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And they built virt. None of them.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, like two or three, I think is what we've done so far. Like. And she sits there and she's just flat out lying to the American people. She absolutely.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

And by the way, why didn't Dana Bash point that out? Well, why didn't Dana Bash point that out? And look, so, so she. So Dana focuses on one quote from 2019. What about the rest of her record? This is the incumbent administration right now. And by the way, on this front. Well, hold on. I want you to keep playing that clip you were playing because then Dana tries to coax her in an answer and it really is pitiful. It is as if they brought in Karine Jean Pierre to do the interview. Play the rest of what Dana says.

[Kamala Harris]

That tells me from my experience as vice president, we can do it without banning fracking. In fact, Dana, Dana, excuse me. I cast the tie breaking vote that actually increased leases for fracking as vice president. So I'm very clear about where I stand.

[Dana Bash]

And was there some policy or scientific data that you saw that you said, oh, okay, I get it now.

[Kamala Harris]

What I have seen is that we can, we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.

[Dana Bash]

Okay. Okay.

[Ben Ferguson]

There we go. Like. Okay, Sounds great. Thank you. I'm glad we sum that up. It's embarrassing, by the way, for Dana Bash. I'm sorry. This is. It's embarrassing.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

She goes. She goes on to say. She goes on to say, how should voters look at some of the changes you've made? Is it because you have more experience now and you've learned more about the information? Is it because you were running for president in a Democratic primary? And should they feel comfortable and confident that what you're saying now is going to be your policy moving forward? Madam President, I'm so excited to see you as president. And I'm going to be cheering and crying the moment you're elected. And oh, my God, I'm so excited. Yay, Kamala. Oh, wait, I'm a journalist. Crap.

[Ben Ferguson]

And let's go back to what she said, when she said, and I'm sorry, she's a liar. My values have not changed. Let's remind people of Kamala Harris's values then. This is a montage of her values.

[Kamala Harris]

My values have not changed.

[Dana Bash]

Use red meat.

[Kamala Harris]

Specifically, yes.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

The Boston Marathon bomber. They should be able to vote.

[Kamala Harris]

I think we should have that conversation.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Abolish ice.

[Kamala Harris]

Yeah.

[Dana Bash]

Would you ban offshore drilling?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes.

[Kamala Harris]

I'm in favor of banning fracking. I am prepared to pass a green new deal. I support a mandatory buyback program. We're not going to treat people who are undocumented, cross borders, criminals. The idea that more police equals more safety, that's just wrong.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Policing as we know, goes all the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Way back to slave patrols. And that idea.

[Kamala Harris]

You are absolutely right.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where do you stand on defund the police?

[Kamala Harris]

We need to take a look at these budgets.

[Dana Bash]

Do you ban plastic straws?

[Kamala Harris]

I think we should.

[Ben Ferguson]

70 to 80% tax rate.

[Kamala Harris]

I think that's fantastic.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Chip in now. To the Minnesota Freedom Fund.

[Kamala Harris]

How dare we speak? Merry Christmas. Yeah. I am radical. I do believe that we need to get radical about what we are doing.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, she says my values have not changed. You might as well believe comrade Kamala on this one. She's somebody that wants a 70 to 80% tax rate and said it was awesome. No cash bail gun confiscation, zero fracking. A ban on gasoline powered cars, she's in favor of as well.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So, Ben on all of those. So it's clear the phrase my values have not changed is something your campaign came up. She said that like, I don't know, three or four times in the interview that they scripted, that was her lead talking point on any flip flop that she got pressed with is, well, my values have not changed. And actually, at some level, that's the truest statement she made the entire interview. Because Kamala Harris is a radical leftist. She is extreme, and she still believes all this stuff. And you know what? It's the reason why nobody on the left is unhappy that she's suddenly running away from her position, because they know she's lying. Let's be clear, border czar Kamala Harris was in charge of this invasion. It happened on her watch. And if, God forbid, she becomes president, it will get worse and everyone gets the joke. All the leftists know she still believes all this stuff. She just has to say some more conservative things in the campaign to fool the gullible voters. But none of her radical supporters believe for a moment she's right. Her values have not changed. She still believes every word of that montage. And God forbid, if she's in the Oval Office, she'll do all of that and more. Unlike Joe Biden, Joe Biden is a senile puppet. Kamala Harris is a true believer.

[Ben Ferguson]

It was also a very weird interview for the fact that Walls, who was, I guess, there to babysit and to hold her hand and try to get her out of trouble if she got trouble without a teleprompter. He really didn't say much. It was very awkward, just kind of nodding and laughing. He did. He was asked one question about stolen valor and the claims he saw combat. And Dana asked him a question, and I want you to hear his excuse. A, it's his wife's fault in some capacity that she says, or his wife says it's his fault that sometimes he just misspeaks about if he did or didn't go to war. Listen to this.

[Dana Bash]

Governor Walz, the country is just starting to get to know you. I want to ask you a question about how you've described your service in the National Guard. You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never deployed actually in a war zone. A campaign official said that. You misspoke. Did you?

[Tim Walz]

Well, first of all, I'm incredibly proud. I've done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country. Equally proud of my service in a public school classroom. Whether it's Congress or the governor, my record speaks for itself. But I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves. And I speak especially passionately about our children being Shot in schools and around guns. So I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is. And again, my record has been out there for over 40 years to speak for itself.

[Dana Bash]

And the idea that you said that you were in war, did you misspeak, as the campaign has said?

[Tim Walz]

Yeah, I said we were talking about, in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war. And my wife, the English, she told me my grammar is not always correct. But again, if it's not this, it's an attack on my children for showing love for me or it's an attack on my dog, I'm not gonna do that. And the one thing I'll never do is I'll never demean another member's service in any way. I never have and I never will, by the way.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yes, you did. You, you, you said that you had a rank you didn't have. You said you saw combat that you didn't see. You said you, you had these guns and wartime that you didn't have. And then he says, I would never take away from anybody else. You absolutely did. I think this is now going to become even a bigger issue for him because he's like, oh, it was just, you know, it was, it was my grammar. My grammar is not always correct. Claiming you went to war, Senator, is. Has nothing to do with your grammar if you didn't go to war.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yeah, Ben, I've got a different take on this. I think that whole exchange is exactly what the Kamala Harris campaign wanted. It was a softball for him to talk about. I served 24 years. I'm proud of my service. And I also care about kids and keeping kids safe. Like you listen to everything he said. It was their campaign talking points. She just, Dana said, okay, here, talk about praise, serving our nation and be a little self effacing. And it. Again, so reporters, real reporters actually focus on records. Tim Waltz may well be the most radical governor in the entire United States of America. Governor Waltz, you signed legislation putting tampons in boys restrooms. Is that a mainstream view? Governor Waltz, you signed legislation giving, giving children a right to being sterilized and mutilated if they believe they're a different gender. And setting the stage for parents to have their parental rights terminated if they object to their child being sterilized. You wanted to make Minnesota a sanctuary state for children who are getting permanently mutilated. Is that a mainstream position? Governor Walts, Governor Waltz, you said in an interview that the First Amendment does not protect what you call misinformation or hate speech? Do you get to decide what is and isn't misinformation and what exactly why do you think you ought to have the power to take away the free speech rights of the American people? Those would actually be questions about his actual record, but it would take a journalist raising his record. Now, to be honest, Waltz shouldn't have been there. There is no presidential candidate in history who has been so weak that they needed their vice presidential nominee there. It was ridiculous that he was sitting next. Can you imagine Trump being interviewed and saying, I need J.D. vance there, I need Mike Pence.

[Ben Ferguson]

There's interview ever by the way, as the candidate. Right. Let's be clear. They've done two together before and that's what the left has been saying is like, well, hold on, we've had interviews that have been president, vice president. That is true, but not the first one and not after you. No one voted for you and you become the nominee. You should be able to.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Tim Waltz was there to be an emotional support puppy. He was just there in case Kamala got into trouble to jump in and save her. And he mostly stayed quiet. But the questions Dana asked him were perfectly calibrated to let him give emotional speeches about what a great guy he is, how much he loves kids. He's been a teacher. He loves kids. Did he mention he loves kids? And he served his nation and it's great. And he also loves kids. That's not actually an interview.

[Ben Ferguson]

It's a great point. It's not an interview. I also want to get to Harris on the issue of the border. She was asked a question about that. But before I get to that, let me tell you about my friends over at Bond Arms. They are a Texan company and a staunch advocate for our God given second amendment rights. And they have a really cool collector's firearm right now. It is the. It is to honor our tough 45th president. Anyone who can bounce back from the personal attacks and the attempted assassination like Donald Trump has and immediately go back to work is a very powerful and resilient leader. And to honor him, Bond Arms, a 30 year old Texas company has an extremely powerful tough handgun called the 45 XLV to honor the 45th president called the Living Legend. I want you to check this out and you can see it online right now by going to getbondarms.com and you can find out more about this new 45 XLV model to honor this amazing living legend. There are a very limited number that will be made of this Special handgun. And it will only be available for a limited time at a low price of only $545.47. Yes, you can even in the price, understand what they're saying. It will become a collector's item and something you will be proud to own, shoot, and show your family and your friends. So if you're a collector and you want a piece of history, go to getbondarms.com today to see this incredible firearm. That's get bondarms.com today to find out more. You know, Kamala Harris is the border czar. Anyone with a brain center knows that's what they called her. We played the montage on the show several times of the media and the and liberal members of the media calling her the border czar. Then it became the Inconvenient Truth. So they're like, well, she never really was the border czar. And we were like, yes, she was. You guys called her that. Here's when you called her that. But she was asked another softball question. This was Dana Bash and Harris to my desk.

[Kamala Harris]

And I would sign it.

[Dana Bash]

Just one other question about something that you said in 2019 when you first ran, there was a debate. You raised your hand when asked whether or not the border should be decriminalized. Do you still believe that?

[Kamala Harris]

I believe there should be consequence. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally, and there should be consequence. And let's be clear. In this race, I'm the only person who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations who trafficking guns, drugs, and human beings. I'm the only person in this race who actually served a border state as attorney general to enforce our laws. And I would enforce our laws as president going forward. I recognize the problem, generally speaking.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

So let me jump in there. Let me jump in there and say a couple of things. Number one, her statement there that she's the only person that has prosecuted transnational border, transnational gangs is completely wrong. Donald Trump was president for four years. The Trump administration prosecuted drug traffickers, human traffickers, transnational gangs, over and over and over again. Yet he had an entire Department of Justice. So her premise. Now, she could say, well, but I was the lawyer. Okay, when you were attorney general, I'm not aware of Kamala actually going to court. If her argument was she went to court. I'm not aware of her actually being personally in court. It's the same thing, which is. Except the difference is the Trump administration had incredible success, and Kamala's position She repeatedly. And let me say something else. I'm going to go back to her position in a second. Dana Bash's question. Kamala didn't answer. It's one of the reasons this was. It wasn't an interview, but it was also terrible. Most of the questions Dana Bash asked, Kamala didn't answer. Do you still support decriminalizing, crossing illegally into this country? She didn't answer that at all. She said there must be consequences. Okay, let me go back. You said it should be decriminalized. Do you still support that? Yes or no? She didn't get an answer to that. She also did not get at all into the disastrous record. So this entire interview is designed to let Kamala run away from Joe Biden and her own record. To. To pretend that her record does not exist. And so there wasn't a word about. Under your administration, eleven and a half million illegal aliens have come into this country under your administration. Barack Obama used the power of parole to parole roughly 5,000 illegal aliens a year to release them into the country. Donald Trump used the power of parole to parole roughly 5,000 illegal immigrants a year to release them into this country. Parole is an extraordinary, extraordinary discretion given to the president under Joe Biden, your administration. You and Joe Biden use that to parole over 800,000 illegal immigrants a year over and over and over again. Was that a mistake? Will you stop doing that? Was Joe Biden wrong? Did you disagree? Did you ever say you disagreed? You were widely reported to be the border czar. Did you have any responsibility for what was happening at the border? Or are you saying you had no responsibility whatsoever? Like those would be questions a journalist would ask. Not a word of that came out of CNN's mouth.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. Not. Not one single bit of it. And then you go back to the policy. She says, I would enforce the law. They haven't enforced the law the entire time they've been in office. Which goes back to the bigger conversation here about this interview. She said she's gonna come in day one and fix all these problems. What's stopping her from doing it right now? Clearly, Joe Biden's not running the country. And then she says on the bo, the damn borders are. Unless she got fired from that job, which has not been publicized.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Hold on a second. Dana Bash starts the border discussion not by saying you're the borders are, but by saying you were asked to address the root causes of migration. Yeah. In northern Central America, literally. Those are the Kamala Harris talking points. That's what they say. That's Dana Bash's question, hey, here's your talking points on this. And she says, oh, I did great things to address the root causes. There is, by the way, let's go back again. I actually think the Tim Russert contrast is enormously. Like, Tim Russert was the most feared interviewer in journalism because he would have a politician on and he would take your prior statements and your prior record and he put your record in front of you over and over and over and over again. It was the gold standard in this instance. Anna Bash didn't ask. Madam Vice President, the inspector general of The Department of HHS found that your administration lost 320,000 children. What should the American people think of your administration losing 320,000 children? Do you know where they are? What are you doing to find them? Have you done anything to find them? How many of those children right now are being sexually abused? Abused? How many of them are trapped in horribly abusive situations? Do you take any responsibility for that? Like that would be normal questioning that a journalist would ask. So of course, because there was not a journalist in the room, none of those questions happened.

[Ben Ferguson]

When you look at this interview, and it obviously depends on who you talk to, right? You go and look at conservative headlines and it's like train wrecks. CNN pushes Kamala Harris hard on issues. Another headline says Harris Unprepared. No Good Answers. Waltz Hit on Stolen Valor. VP Defense Bidenomics fails to explain why she did not lower prices. I mean, the headlines, my point is, are all over the place. But when on Bidenomics is a great example. She referred to it as good work Center. It's good work, really. Like Biden Nomics, which has been a disaster. She says, no, no, no. It's not really a disaster. It's pretty good work.

[Dana Bash]

You maintain Biden Nomics is a success.

[Kamala Harris]

I maintain that when we do the work of bringing down prescription medication for the American people, including capping the cost of the annual cost of prescription medication for seniors at $2,000. When we do what we did in the first year of being in office, to extend the child tax credit so that we cut child poverty in America by over 50%. When we do what we have done to invest in the American people in bringing manufacturing back to the United States so that we created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs, bringing business back to America, what we have done to improve the supply chain so we're not relying on foreign governments to supply American families with their basic needs, I'll say that that's good work. There's More to do. But that's good work.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, where do you even start? Grocery prices, home prices, food. I mean, what do you want to get? Whatever you want to go with this.

[Senator Ted Cruz]

But. But let me give my bottom line. This interview did absolutely nothing to impact the presidential election in November. The Kamala Harris campaign is high fiving. They're thrilled because now they have an excuse not to do another interview for at least another month because they'll say they did an interview so they will quickly rush her back to Joe Biden's basement and hide her there. And all this was was a campaign commercial. What she's saying there, she's reading their talking points. The headlines you read. I don't know what outlets they are, but I'm gonna guess that everyone that says train wreck is a right of center outlet. You've got Breitbart and Fox News and all of those. And you know what? So what? The people reading that aren't going to vote for her anyway. Like, Like, I don't think there was a single thing in this interview that moved even one voter to change how they're going to vote in November. Um, and if there was, I'm sorry to say, it moved them towards Kamala Harris. Because if there's a voter who's a naive and ignorant voter who doesn't know anything, they listened to 20 some odd minutes of her reading campaign talking points. Look, foreign policy. On foreign policy, okay, there was no question about Ukraine and the disaster that the administration has done on that. There was no question about Afghanistan and the disaster there. There was no question about why Joe Biden denied that 13 servicemen and women were killed in Afghanistan due to their utter incompetence and the disgrace of this administration. None of those were questions. The question was instead about Israel and what did it do? It gave Kamala Harris a chance to say October 7th was terrible and to say, I will always stand for Israel. And Dana Bash asked as president, will you cut off weapons to Israel? And Kamala Harris refuses to answer. She says Israel has a right to defend itself. Doesn't answer the question at all. Okay, Dana, here's a crazy question. Joe Biden, right now, this instant, your administration has frozen weapons to Israel, is not sending the weapons to Israel that Congress appropriated. Do you agree with that? Is Joe Biden wrong to refuse to send weapons to Israel? That would be a real question. So, of course Dana Bash didn't ask that. She also didn't ask, Madam Vice President, you and Joe Biden sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza. You did so after your administration concluded that it was likely that that money would be used by Hamas to carry out terrorism. In light of October 7, in light of the determination that it was highly likely. That was your administration's determination. It would be used for terrorism, was it a mistake to send hundreds of millions of dollars that were highly likely to be used by terrorism, by the way? You want to talk foreign policy? Iran. Your administration, Madam Vice President, has sent over $100 billion to Iran. Iran provides 90% of the funding for Hamas, 90% of the funding for Hezbollah. In a very real sense, the death squads on October 7 was funded by your administration. Do you regret that? Was that a mistake? Madam Vice President, why do you continue today to refuse to enforce the oil sanctions against Iran? Why are you allowing Iran to sell 2 million barrels a day of oil? When you became vice president, they were selling 300,000 barrels a day. It was crushing the Iranian economy. And Madam Vice President, by the way, on fracking, you said a minute ago you weren't going to ban fracking. Why is it that you're so eager to support oil and gas production in Iran led by a theocratic lunatic who chants death to America, but you and your administration have put in regulation after regulation hammering oil and gas jobs in the United States? Those are questions an actual journalist would ask.

[Ben Ferguson]

There's only one moment in this whole debate, Senator, or I should say this television interview that I think the Trump campaign could really use to their advantage in a TV ad. And I want to play it for you and get your thoughts, because there was this moment for me where I was like, okay, maybe this is useful.

[Dana Bash]

So you have been vice president for three and a half years. The steps that you're talking about now, why haven't you done them already?

[Kamala Harris]

Well, first of all, we had to recover as an economy, and we have done that. I'm very proud of the work that we have done that has brought inflation down to less than 3%. The work that we have done to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. Donald Trump said he was going to do a number of things, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Never happened. We did it. So now, as I travel in the state of Georgia and around our country, the number of seniors that have benefited, I've met. I was in Nevada recently, a grandmother who showed me her receipts. And before we capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 a month, she was playing hundreds of dollars up to thousands of dollars a month for her insulin. She's not doing that anymore.

[Ben Ferguson]

I mean, that's the. That might be your only moment where you could say, okay, maybe we can make a campaign out of this. That why didn't you do what you say you're going to do, day one?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

I'm not with you on that. I actually think Dana Bash gave her a perfect opportunity. Give me your talking point. So the only questions that she had that were sort of pretend questions. When she asked Tim Waltz about stolen valor, it was a softball for him to give a speech about how important military service is and how much he loves America. When she asked her that question. Look, it's such an obvious question that it was sort of like, what is your talking point in response to this? And that whole riff there, if you are a voter who's not paying much attention, who doesn't know the record, that riff sounds pretty good. Okay, so we had a pandemic. You had to deal with that. And then, hey, we did this thing on insulin. I'm not sure what the thing on insulin is the person listening might be saying, but you told me about a woman who had really high receipts and then they went down. So, wow, okay. Apparently you did something. That whole riff is a prepared riff. That is their defense. And there was nothing actually calling to account for the actual record. The disaster of the record, by the way, going back to the border, her statements were not just. Not just the statement. You raised your hand and said that you would decriminalize illegal immigration. You've also said you would abolish ice. Do you still want to abolish ice? You've also said the wall was ridiculous. Do you still want to do that? Well, now you've said you want to build the wall. You know her position, you said. And by the way, a real interview would. Would play this. You said on day one, you would shut down every ICE detention center and you would not detain illegal immigrants. Do you still believe that? Abolish, but also shut down the detention centers. You know what? Was nowhere in the question. Jocelyn Nungaree, Lakin Riley. Rachel Marin. Like, a real question would be Lake and Riley was killed by an illegal immigrant that you and Joe Biden released. Was that a mistake to release that immigrant? Rachel Marin was raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant that you and Joe Biden released. Was that a mistake to release that illegal immigrant? Jocelyn Nungaree was raped and killed by two illegal immigrants that you and Joe Biden released. Was that a mistake to release that immigrant? How many is enough? Like that actually would be laying out and have you changed anything. Why do you continue to release illegal immigrants who go on every day to murder Americans, to rape women, to violate children we talked about in a previous podcast? They just halted their plan. Your administration flew into America over 300,000 illegal immigrants a year. Flew them in. They didn't cross the border. You flew them in from Haiti, from Cuba, from Nicaragua and Venezuela. One of the illegal immigrants you flew in, you flew into Boston, you released him in Boston and he raped a 15 year old girl with severe mental disabilities. Was that a mistake to fly into this country an illegal immigrant who raped a teenage girl? You know what, those are hard questions for her to answer. That's why she doesn't do interviews. But she still doesn't do interviews. This was not an interview. They sat there and knew Dana Bash is part of the campaign. Just like if she was sitting there with Karine Jean Pierre to do a fake interview, they'd know they would never get those questions because those are questions that are a real problem. They knew they'd never get them from Dana Bash either.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, and it was apparent that like you said, this was nothing but propaganda. Patriot Mobile is the only conservative Christian wireless provider in the country. And I've been telling you about them for quite some time. And if you haven't switched to Patriot Mobile, now's the time to do it. Especially in this election cycle. Patriot Mobile is proud of what they believe in and what they stand for. And they take 5% of your bill every single month and they give it back to conservative causes at no extra cost to you. They give them the causes that support and are fighting on the front lines for our first and our second Amendment rights, the sanctity of life, our military, our wounded warriors, our veterans and our first responders who are our heroes. This is why I switched to Patriot Mobile. Because big Mobile gives big donations, especially right now in this election cycle, to hardcore Democrats that are running for office. They also give money to radical organizations that pay and support for abortions. If you're sick and tired of your money being used against your family values, your Christian values, then make the switch to Patriot Mobile. It is easy to switch now in 2024. You do it literally over the phone or online and you get to keep your same number, you get to keep your same coverage you're used to right now. Go to patriotmobile.com verdict. That's patriotmobile.com verdict. Patriot mobile.com verdict. You're going to get a free month of service when you use the offer code verdict. Or you can call them 9-7 2, Patriot. That's 9-7 2, Patriot. Use the promo code. Verdict to get a free month of service today and make a difference with every phone call you make. Senator, finally on this, I want to go over the list. It was an interesting list that was thrown out right after the interview. Trump and Vance put this out the campaign. It said, here are all the things Kamala Harris failed to address tonight with cnn. Kamala, support for ending cash bail for violent criminals. Kamala's fundraising for the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which freed rioters. Kamala's tiebreaking vote for the American rescue plan, which economists say fueled inflation, comma, support. Support for defunding the police, comma's comments comparing policing to slavery. Kamala's repeated praise of bidenomics, comma, support for Medicare for all, a socialist takeover of our health care system. And that's just some of the highlights here. Is that really what this election is going to be about? And is that what he has to bring out in the debate that's going to be coming up fairly soon?

[Senator Ted Cruz]

Yes. Look, look, if this election is on Kamala's record and Donald Trump's record, if this election is on the issues, we win. If it's not, if it is all about Hopi changey joy and Trump derangement syndrome, then Kamala could win. And the media is going to spend billions of dollars trying to cover up all of the substantive issues. Look, you want to see what propaganda is like? Look at the last two questions. Dana Bash has now understand this is the first interview in over a month of the Democrat nominee to be president. So she has been hiding from interviews for more than a month. Like every question is precious real estate. Her last two questions, she turns to Tim Waltz and says, oh, there was an amazing image of your son at the convention, so excited, saying, I'm proud of my dad. They play the video and he says, oh, I'm so that was an amazing moment in his dad. I feel great. Like, cue the music. Could we put some kittens and puppies around him? You know, maybe hearts like he's a soft, tender dad. And then that's not enough. Then she turns to Kamala. Oh, there was a picture from the convention of your niece, an adorable little girl with two pigtails. And the picture shows her looking at you, speaking, gazing adoringly. It was inspirational. It's a moment. Oh, Kamala. I mean, this is not journalism. This is Kareem Jean Pierre would not have gushed more if it was the campaign putting out a fake documentary. The fake documentary would have closed with those two questions and the image. In fact, they would have faded out on the image of the little girl with pigtails gazing at Camilla as an inspirational hero. That was CNN's objective. And that's a lot of things. But you know what? It ain't. It ain't journalism.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah. When the fake interviews like this are done, don't worry. We're always here to analyze it and let you know what happened, especially if you missed it. Don't forget, share this podcast with your family and friends wherever you are on social media. We do this show Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So hit that subscriber auto download button. And on those other days of the week, grab my podcast, the Ben Ferguson Podcast. I will keep you up to date on the latest breaking news and the center and I will see you back here next week.