Kamala Does Town Hall With CNN

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Anderson Cooper found himself in hot water after his line of questioning during a Pennsylvania town hall with Vice President Kamala Harris left some viewers outraged. Cooper, known for his cool demeanor, was accused by some Harris supporters of using his “male privilege” to talk down to the vice president. Social media blew up, with critics accusing the CNN anchor of being disrespectful and overly aggressive during the discussion, which touched on immigration, abortion, and Harris’s performance in office.

One user, Aaron H., didn’t hold back, tweeting, “It is infuriating how a white male feels entitled to interrupt the Vice President while she tries to answer a freaking question. Looking at you, @andersoncooper.” The frustration seemed to boil over from Harris’s base, who were already on edge after she faced tough questions about her record as vice president. Cooper’s refusal to back down appeared to pour gasoline on the fire, leading to accusations that he was “talking down” to Harris and not giving her a fair shake.

The town hall, originally slated to be the second debate between Harris and former President Trump, went ahead despite Trump’s absence. But Harris supporters weren’t happy that Cooper didn’t seem to bring up Trump’s own record when grilling the vice president. One user, Chris D. Jackson, went on a tirade on X (formerly known as Twitter), saying, “Anderson Cooper just asked Harris why she and Biden haven’t fixed all the issues she’s talking about over the last four years. Really? Were you in a coma? Did you miss the part where they had to clean up a pandemic, save the economy, rebuild infrastructure, and fend off fascism?”

The frustration wasn’t just about what Cooper asked—it was about who he was asking. Harris fans believe the heat should’ve been on Trump, not the current administration. “Maybe flip that question over to Trump, the guy who actually had four years in office and somehow managed to be ranked the worst president in history by historians,” Jackson quipped. It seems for Harris supporters, Cooper’s questioning felt one-sided, with Trump escaping any real scrutiny.

However, not everyone felt Cooper crossed the line. In fact, some applauded his approach, especially when it came to holding Harris accountable on her handling of immigration. Cooper didn’t back down when Harris dodged his question about the effectiveness of a border wall. After pointing out that she supported a bipartisan bill that included funding for the wall, he pressed her on the issue. “But you do want to build some wall?” Cooper asked, following up when Harris deflected with her usual stance on “strengthening the border.”

Harris dodged again, opting instead to criticize Trump’s promise to make Mexico pay for the wall, quipping that Trump managed to build only “about 2 percent” of it. Cooper kept pushing, but Harris refused to acknowledge that a border wall could be part of the solution. Some viewers praised Cooper for not letting the vice president off the hook.

While Harris fans were quick to slam Cooper for what they saw as disrespectful treatment, others saw his tough questioning as a necessary part of holding elected officials accountable. And with the town hall taking place in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where undecided voters filled the audience, it’s clear that both Harris and Cooper had a lot riding on the night.

Either way, it’s safe to say that Anderson Cooper sparked a firestorm of debate, and the town hall gave both sides plenty to talk about.

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