Politics

Kamala Harris Claims ‘People Are Dying’ Because Of Trump Administration’s ‘Vacuum Of Leadership’

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Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris claimed Wednesday that the “vacuum of leadership” within the Trump administration was the reason “people are dying.”

Harris, who appeared on ABC’s “The View” to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and the nation’s response, credited local leadership — from mayors to governors — with taking the necessary steps to limit both the spread and the impact of the virus.

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Meghan McCain began the segment by asking Harris about the response to coronavirus and how it had fed her distrust of government with regard to being able to take actions that were in the interests of the people rather than their own pockets. (RELATED: Sunny Hostin Says ‘People Are Dying’ Because Of Trump’s Press Conferences: ‘Listen At Your Own Peril’)

“I know you’re more than aware there is a lot of really intense anger floating in the country unlike anything I think I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. Back in February, the Surgeon General was tweeting, the the risk of the virus was low, and more people would get the flu,” McCain began. “Now he’s going on TV and saying it’s our 9/11. We have heard senators on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, allegedly selling their stocks after being privately briefed on the Coronavirus, and personally profiting when they should have been worrying about their constituents and in my opinion, warning the American public about the imminent dangers of this virus. I have lost a lot of confidence in government officials. Have you lost the same kind of confidence that I have in the past two months?”

Harris responded by first addressing the issue of senators selling stocks before warning the people, saying that she believed members of Congress should be barred from owning stocks while they were serving.

She then went on to tout the strong leadership on display among a number of governors and mayors across the country, saying, “Let’s talk about where we have seen a vacuum of leadership such as with the administration, and you pointed out examples, but where we had been seeing others pick up leadership is our mayors and our governors. What extraordinary work they have been doing. I mean, their broad shoulders have been bearing the brunt, and actually providing national leadership on how we address it.”

“This is a moment where people have to rely on their government to work, and at a local and state level, many have been able to then have confidence there,” Harris concluded. “But at a national level, and in particular from the administration, we’ve seen a vacuum of leadership, and we’re paying a price for it, and to your point, people are dying.”