Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘Are we really taking his word for it?’ Harris scolds CBS host over question about Trump’s Project 2025 ties

Harris’s frustrations with the former president’s inconsistent remarks about abortion were evident in her response to CBS host

Ariana Baio
Tuesday 29 October 2024 15:33
Comments
Kamala Harris pushes back on Donald Trump distancing himself from Project 2025

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Vice President Kamala Harris pushed back on a journalist’s assertion that Donald Trump will not instate a federal abortion ban if re-elected, saying his word should not be trusted.

For months, Harris has warned Americans that Trump will go to greater lengths to restrict reproductive freedoms than he already has, pointing to plans laid out in Project 2025 – a document created by The Heritage Foundation to which Trump has multiple ties.

The former president has promised he wouldn’t do so while distancing himself from Project 2025.

Vice President Kamala Harris said she does not trust Donald Trump’s assertion that he will not impose a federal abortion ban
Vice President Kamala Harris said she does not trust Donald Trump’s assertion that he will not impose a federal abortion ban (CBS Sunday Morning / YouTube)

Despite that, Harris has continued to push the claim. During an interview over the weekend, CBS Evening News host Norah O’Donnell questioned the truth of Harris’s claim.

“When you argue that Donald Trump, if elected, would put forward a national abortion –,” O’Donnell began.

“Just read Project 2025,” Harris interjected.

“The former president said that’s not true,” O’Donnell said.

Obviously frustrated, Harris responded, “He says everything. C’mon, are we really taking his word for it?”

“He said that women should be punished, he has been all over the place on this. But I’m too busy watching what he’s doing to see what he has said,” Harris said.

Donald Trump shared his current stance on abortion in a video back in April as the issue became a bigger deal to voters
Donald Trump shared his current stance on abortion in a video back in April as the issue became a bigger deal to voters (Donald Trump/Truth Social)

A pillar of the vice president’s campaign is fighting for reproductive rights and the threat Trump poses to that. She told CBS her priority, if elected, is reinstating federal abortion protections.

She holds Trump directly responsible for taking those away after nominating three conservative justices to the Supreme Court with the intent of overturning Roe.

But in recent months the former president has softened his stance on abortion access, in order to appeal to moderate voters who may be concerned about abortion rights. His change of heart has ultimately weakened Harris’s point.

But Trump does have a history of making inconsistent remarks about abortion.

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Trump called himself “pro-life” and voiced support for a federal abortion ban without mentioning exceptions.

As recent as of March of this year, Trump signaled support for a federal 15-week ban.

But recently, he said he would not support a federal ban and believes in abortion rights with some exceptions such as in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother’s life.

Over the last three years, he’s taken credit for abortion being turned back to the States thanks to his Supreme Court justice appointments.

At the same time, he’s made inconsistent remarks about state abortion bans, calling the Florida six-week ban “too short” and also saying “We need more than six weeks."

Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign national press secretary previously reporters: “President Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion and has been very clear that he will NOT sign a federal ban when he is back in the White House.”

But Harris does, and will, continue to raise concerns about Trump keeping his promise.

“We have seen extraordinary harm and pain and suffering happen because of what Donald Trump did in intending and effectuating overturning Roe v. Wade,” Harris told CBS.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in