CNN’s Dana Bash pressed White House adviser Cedric Richmond on President Joe Biden’s claim that he would not back a “socialist agenda.”
Richmond made a Sunday morning appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” and pushed back against the idea the Biden might be splitting from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. (RELATED: ‘I Just Wound Up Going To Play Golf’: Caitlyn Jenner Reveals She Didn’t Vote In 2020)
WATCH:
Bash began by reading a line from an interview that Biden gave to New York Times columnist David Brooks.
“He said, quote, ‘the Progressives don’t like me because I’m not prepared to take on what I would say and they would say is a socialist agenda.’ The president is saying the Progressive agenda is socialist. Really?” Bash asked.
“No, I don’t think that’s what he’s saying,” Richmond objected, arguing that a number of the policies the Biden administration was supporting and had already put into place were progressive and that the labels were far less important than the actions.
“I think the president is always talking about what he has done, what he can get done. And he’s not a president that walks around, talking about labels,” Richmond continued. “He’s a president that just meets the challenges he’s faced with and keeps the promises he has made.”
“He’s not somebody who generally talks about labels, which is why this really stood out. I will say again, this is his quote. ‘I’m not prepared to take on what I would say and they would say is a socialist agenda.’ Those are his words,” Bash repeated.
“Well, look, I don’t think that the definition of the agenda matters,” Richmond objected again, saying that the labels didn’t matter as long as the policies Biden supported matched up with the policies progressives in the party were asking to see implemented.
“Reducing child poverty, investing in families, building our infrastructure so we can compete for tomorrow and making a significant statement and assistance for real policing reform in this country, those are things that are important to him,” Richmond added. “Those are things that are important to progressives, moderates and others as well, which is in the business of getting the work done.”