In a recent rally in Phoenix, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a controversial statement about President Trump's stance on abortion, which was promptly fact-checked live by CNN's Jake Tapper.
Harris claimed that Trump had said he would "do what he wants" regardless of women's opinions, a statement she linked to his position on abortion.
According to The Post Millennial, Harris stated at the rally, "Now in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exceptions, even for rape and incest, which is immoral." She continued, "And Donald Trumps not done. Did everyone hear what he just said yesterday? That he will do what he wants, quote, and heres where Im going to quote whether the women like it or not."
Harris further emphasized her point by saying, "You know, theres a saying that you got to listen to people when they tell you who you are, and this is not the first time he has told us who he is. He does not believe women should have the agency and authority to make decisions about their own bodies."
However, Tapper was quick to correct Harris's interpretation of Trump's comments. The president's statement was not about abortion, but rather about his commitment to protecting American citizens from crime committed by illegal immigrants under a potential Biden-Harris administration.
Trump had said at a rally, "Kamala has imported criminal migrants from prisons and jails, from insane asylums and mental institutions all over the world from Venezuela to the Congo, including savage criminals who assault, rape, and murder our women and girls. Anyone who would let monsters kidnap and kill our children does not belong anywhere near the Oval Office. I'm gonna do it whether the women like it or not. I'm gonna protect them."
Tapper clarified Trump's comments while Harris was still on stage, stating, "When Trump said he was going to do something for women, whether they like it or not, whether the women like it or not, he was talking about protecting women, protecting women whether they like it or not. Certainly, you can take issue with the language, but he wasnt saying he was just going to do whatever he wanted, regardless."
The panel reacted with laughter to Tapper's comments, prompting him to reiterate, "I mean, but you take my point. Hes saying Im gonna protect them, whether that women want me to protect them."
Democratic strategist Karen Finney responded, "Some would say thats misogynistic" but was cut off by Tapper, who insisted, "Its not as she presented it."
Finney concluded, "Look, ultimately, I think we have to be careful in these last days. We did this in 2016. Hes going to say something horrible, ridiculous"
Tapper's final words were, "So just quote it accurately." This incident underscores the importance of accurate reporting and the potential for misinterpretation in the heated climate of political campaigning.
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