CNN’s Jake Tapper gave a live fact-check of Vice President Kamala Harris after she claimed former President Trump said he would “do what he wants” whether “the women like it or not.”
At a rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, Harris asserted Trump will do what he wants regarding abortion restrictions and policing women’s bodies.
“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. And Donald Trump’s not done. Did everyone hear what he just said yesterday? That he will do what he wants, quote, and here‘s where I‘m going to quote ‘whether the women like it or not,’” Harris said.
She continued, “We must vote because this is the thing. You know, there‘s 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.”
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Trump’s comments were about how he would “protect women” from illegal immigrants let in by Harris’ border policies.
“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,” Trump said at a rally.
Trump added, “I’m gonna do it whether the women like it or not. I’m gonna protect them.”
After playing the clip from Harris’ rally, Tapper corrected the vice president, adding she left out context.
“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 wasn‘t saying he was just going to do whatever he wanted, regardless,” Tapper said.
After his panel on “The Lead” snickered at his fact-check, Tapper followed, “I mean, but you take my point. He’s saying I‘m gonna protect them, whether that women want me to protect them.”
Democratic strategist Karen Finney remarked, “Some would say that’s misogynistic—”
“It‘s not as she presented it,” Tapper said.
“Look, ultimately, I think we have to be careful in these last days. We did this in 2016,” Finney said. “He’s going to say something horrible, ridiculous—”
“So just quote it accurately.” Tapper interrupted.
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“That‘s not my point,” Finney continued. “I just don‘t think we need to say every update because the point is what she where she wanted to, which is we know who this guy is. This is not someone who respects women. That being said, sorry, I think the Puerto Rico ad or General Kelly‘s comments are in a different category.”
Harris made the same inaccurate interpretation of Trump’s statements in a post on X.
“Donald Trump thinks he should get to make decisions about what you do with your body. Whether you like it or not,” Harris wrote while sharing a clip of Trump’s speech.
