Kamala Harris office ‘deeply concerned’ about Covid interview chaos on ABC’s ‘The View’

Timing of leak comes as vice president slammed for telling a student who accused Israel of ethnic genocide that her ‘truth should not be suppressed’

When The View abruptly yanked two co-hosts from the set for what turned out to be false-positive Covid tests, Kamala Harris rolled with it and continued on through the interview.

Days later, anonymous sources seeded a story that her office is frustrated and “deeply concerned” that the ABC programme has not been forthcoming about what happened during the live airing on Friday.

The View’s executive producer Brian Teta addressed the fiasco on Monday, saying that “mistakes were made” in publicly revealing positive test results that turned out not to be accurate.

“We found out moments before we came back on the air, and in that moment all I could think of was that we had to keep the hosts safe and we had to keep the vice president safe,” he said.

“She could not walk out no matter what. And that led to some really awkward television that I’d like to have back if I could.”

The hosts, Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro, later tested negative, but Ms Harris’ office is vexed as to why ABC gave them the “all clear” the night before the show, suggesting that the vice president’s requirements had been met.

As a condition of Ms Harris appearing in person, the network was reportedly required to have the hosts undergo PCR testing within 24 hours of the interview.

After doing the tests on Thursday afternoon and seemingly suggesting the results were negative on Thursday night, Ms Harris’ office was reportedly baffled why a positive result was returned moments before her scheduled appearance.

Despite The View’s public apology on Monday, “people familiar with the matter” told CNN’s media reporter Oliver Darcy that the office of the vice president was vexed by what happened and concerned the The View has not been forthcoming.

The timing of the leak coincides with the vice president getting negative press from a viral video of her appearance at George Mason University in Virginia on Tuesday.

While Ms Harris was there to encourage voter registration, a college student accused Israel of committing ethnic genocide against Palestinians.

Ms Harris nodded as the student said the $1bn funding for the country’s Iron Dome missile defence system hurts her heart “because it’s ethnic genocide and displacement of people, the same that happened in America, and I’m sure you’re aware of this”.

After the student said the money would have been better spent helping struggling Americans, Ms Harris responded that she was glad the issue was raised.

“And again, this is about the fact that your voice, your perspective, your experience, your truth, should not be suppressed and it must be heard, right? And one of the things we’re fighting for in a democracy, right?” Ms Harris said.

“The point that you are making about policy that relates to Middle East policy, foreign policy, we still have healthy debates in our country about what is the right path, and nobody’s voice should be suppressed on that,” she added.