Former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) on Friday talked up Vice President Kamala Harris' chances in a hypothetical matchup against former President Donald Trump.
Appearing on CNN, Ryan told host Kasie Hunt that he did not believe that President Joe Biden's position in the 2024 campaign was tenable and he reiterated his call for the president to bow out.
He also said that former President Donald Trump's "debacle" of an acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention has left the party "dying to get back on a more elevated message" and he said there's a "huge opportunity" for Democrats across the country to get back on track with a new presidential nominee.
Hunt then asked Ryan if he believed Harris could defeat Trump were she at the top of the ticket.
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"I think she would smoke him, honestly," Ryan replied confidently. "And I've been saying this for three weeks now: She is the candidate in my mind. She will absolutely smoke him. She'll rally our base. She'll pull in young people, she will energize Democrats. She will prosecute the case, not just against Trump because I don't think we want to talk about him too much, but you've got to be able to call out his lies, and who better to do that but a prosecutor."
Ryan also argued that Harris could turn the discussion back toward more favorable policy topics that could draw a stark contrast with Republicans.
"Kamala Harris will elevate the American conversation, people will be drawn to that, independent voters will be drawn to that, the Never Trumpers in the Republican Party will be drawn to that," he said. "You can run on choice, you can run on reindustrialization."
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'She will smoke him': Ohio Dem talks up Kamala Harris' chances against Trump www.youtube.com
