Conservative CNN host Michael Smerconish seemed stunned on Saturday morning after a political scientist from Princeton University attempted to make the case that Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are both threats to democracy.
That led the CNN host to put her on the spot whereupon she scrambled by saying voters will have to make up their own minds.
According to Professor Lauren Wright, both candidates are highly flawed, noting the Donald Trump's multitude of scandals and his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election should give pause to voters.
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She then added the way that Harris became the nominee of the Democrats is equally concerning, by stating, "I think even if you look at Harris' record on democratic values, untruthfulness, on transparency she has got some real problems there too. Not least of which is the way she replaced Biden at the top of the ticket without a single vote being cast in the last three months of the election. I think these are very fair questions to ask and i think they need to be scrutinized for both candidates."
With the CNN host pointing out the "That's not a detraction from her, right? The way in which she got the gig after Biden imploded at the debate, we all watched it," his guest shot back, "I disagree."
"She is a sitting vice president and she has campaigned this entire time on how she was the last decision-maker in the room," she explained. "She likes to say from the Situation Room to the Oval Office, I was one of the trusted voices on policy. And she has simultaneously held the position that she was a key player in the administration, which I absolutely think she was."
"You say for different reasons there are problems with each, let me hear it," the CNN host asked.
"Yes. I think both candidates, an argument can be made, are unfit for office," she asserted. "Donald Trump lost an election in 2020 and he tried to hang onto power –– that's quintessentially anti-democratic. It's quintessentially anti-American. But Harris, on the same issue of democracy, which she has urged voters to evaluate the candidates by, has defended essentially what might be a shadow government in the Biden administration."
"She can't say with a straight face that he is fit for office, because he was removed from the top of the ticket, which is an extraordinary event, and replaced three months before the election," she continued. "Americans saw with their own eyes that debate back in June. That's why he is no longer the candidate. I also think on the policies she has defended and shown an openness to expanding the Supreme Court. that's exactly what Hugo Chavez did to seize power in Venezuela –— it's anti-democratic. She has shown her willingness to censor on popular–"
"You realize, Dr. Wright, you realize, I will be the one who will bear the brunt of the nasty emails from people who are going to say that you are establishing parity between the two. Do you really mean to say that they are equal threats to democracy?" Smerconish interrupted.
"I don't think, you know –– I think voters will make different decisions about that," she parried. "But I don't think we should judge each other. I think there's a very strong argument to be made that on this question of democracy, truthfulness and transparency they have serious problems. And is not as easy as pundits have made it out to be. There is not one clear patriotic candidate and we should be open to each other's decisions and subjective and let's stop calling each other fascists and enemies."
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