During a tense exchange on "This Week," Senator Tom Cotton challenged ABC News' Jonathan Karl over Vice President Kamala Harris' previous support for eliminating private health insurance through "Medicare-for-all."
In a heated on-air debate, Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas clashed with ABC News' Jonathan Karl over Vice President Kamala Harris' past commitment to abolish private health insurance. The discussion unfolded during an interview on ABC's "This Week" program.
Senator Cotton criticized Harris' support for "Medicare-for-all" policies, which he claimed would strip 170 million Americans of their employer-provided health insurance. He cited her past campaign statements in support of the single-payer healthcare system.
Senator Cotton Battles ABC's Karl Over Harris' Past Pledge to Abolish Private Insurance
Karl defended Harris, asserting that she no longer holds the same position and has taken steps to move towards the center of her party. Cotton challenged Karl's claims, stating that Harris had not publicly renounced her previous stance.
"How do you know that is not her position now?" Cotton asked, emphasizing that Harris had not explicitly stated any change in her views. "She has not said that. Maybe anonymous aides on a Friday night have said that, but the last thing that she said...," he added before Karl interrupted.
Senator Cotton Battles ABC's Karl Over Harris' Past Pledge to Abolish Private Insurance
Karl maintained that Harris had "made an effort to move to the middle" and was "taking these efforts not to change these positions but to hide these positions." Cotton countered by asserting that Harris remains "a dangerous San Francisco liberal" based on her prior campaign promises and the Biden-Harris administration's policies.
The two continued to spar over Harris' positions on decriminalizing illegal immigration and abolishing health insurance, with Karl reiterating that she has changed her views while Cotton argued that she has not.
Senator Cotton Battles ABC's Karl Over Harris' Past Pledge to Abolish Private Insurance
Harris' campaign has indicated that she will not pursue "Medicare-for-all" or single-payer healthcare in the current election cycle, despite her previous support for the policies. However, Harris herself has not yet publicly confirmed this change in her stance.
Cotton's exchange with Karl has sparked a debate on whether Harris has genuinely shifted her positions or is merely attempting to conceal them for political expediency. Critics have accused Karl of being overly defensive of Harris and failing to hold her accountable for her past statements.
"For the sake of argument let's say she has changed her position. Jon Karl and the rest of the corporate press seem totally uninterested in WHY she suddenly changed all these positions she campaigned on in 2020, and they will never ask her about it," tweeted The Federalist senior editor John Daniel Davidson.
Politico columnist Jonathan Martin defended Harris, suggesting that she may provide clarification during her first actual interview in the coming week.
The controversy highlights the challenges facing Vice President Harris as she attempts to balance her past positions with the need to appeal to a broader voter base in the upcoming election.
