Possibly because of the strong showing from most of the GOP field during their first debate the previous evening, ABC Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos was in a sour mood on Thursday and took his rage out on candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Her crime? Bringing attention to President Biden’s advanced age, how it’s obvious that he’s slipping mentally, and how that’s not good for America to have a leader like that.
Getting way over his skis with the fate of former President Trump, Stephanopoulos pressed her on, “Why would you vote for a convicted felon to be president of the United States?” Haley responded that she was “not comfortable with a President Kamala Harris becoming president. I think we would be in a far worse situation.” She also told Stephanopoulos that he was getting ahead of himself.
Stephanopoulos claimed he “didn't quite understand” why Haley was talking about Harris because if she got the GOP nomination she would be “running against not Kamala Harris, but Joe Biden.”
Haley has been pretty vocal this cycle about the need for term limits and mental acuity tests for our older leaders. The Biden White House has also reportedly been trying to elevate Harris’s profile to reassure voters since he’s polling badly on the issue of age and fitness for office.
The ABC co-host didn’t like that facts harmful to Biden were being spoken on his show so he proceeded to shout over his guest, demanding to know what her analysis of Biden’s issues was “based on” as if it wasn’t obvious to all:
HALEY: Well, first of all, a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris. You know that and I know that. There's no way Joe Biden would finish his term. I think Kamala Harris is going to be the next president and that should send a chill up every American's spine. But I also think the fact that we have a primary, a primary where -
STEPHANOPOULOS (shouts over Haley): Excuse me! Excuse me one second, Ambassador! How do you know Joe Biden is not going to finish his term? What is that based on?
HALEY: Ask Americans. Do you think he's going to finish his term? Do you think that he's actually going to finish what he started? We look at the decline he's had over the last few years. You have to be honest with the American people, George. There's no way Joe Biden's going to finish out a next term.
“We can't have an 81-year-old president. We have to have a new generational leader. The Senate has become the most privileged nursing home in the country,” she proclaimed while also calling out the media. “We have got to start making sure we have a new generation. Everybody feels that Republicans, Democrats, and independents feel that. And it's time the media acknowledge that.”
“Again, you didn't answer the question. What evidence do you have that he's not going to finish the term? What Americans feel has no basis on whether he’s going to finish his term,” Stephanopoulos - the former Clinton flack - sneered.
The Ambassador then rattled off a short list of Biden’s recent mental slips: “I mean, if you look at the decline. I mean, every person should be able to tell what country they were in the week before. He couldn't do that. Every person should be able to tell how many grandchildren they have.” She went on to note that it was dangerous to have Biden as president since he was making important decisions.
As if it was some kind of retort, Stephanopoulos’s only response was to chide that she and Biden agreed that backing Ukraine was a good thing:
HALEY: They're making decisions on our national security. They're making decisions on the future of our children's economic policy. We need to make sure we've got someone at the top of their game. Joe Biden is not at the top of his game. You know it. I know it. The American people know it.
STEPHANOPOULOS (speaking over Haley): You agree with him on Ukraine.
HALEY: We need a leader at the top of the game.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I was watching the debate, you agree with what he’s doing on Ukraine.
“So yes, I think we need to defend Ukraine, but that's not about Joe Biden. That's about strong American national security,” she shot back before the bitter ABC huffed, “That he is leading right now” he huffed and ended the interview.
She clearly struck a nerve.
George Stephanopoulos’s pro-Biden hissy fit was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Behr and Sandals Hotels & Resorts. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
August 24, 2023
8:04:40 a.m. Eastern(…)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: I just simply ask you why? Why would you vote for a convicted felon to be president of the United States?
NIKKI HALEY (R-SC): Because I am not comfortable with a President Kamala Harris becoming president. I think we would be in a far worse situation. I don't even think it will get to the point that Donald Trump becomes president. I think that I'm going to be the nominee. And I think we are going to win. And I think the fact that we're going to let these court cases play out. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
(…)
8:05:33 a.m. Eastern
HALEY: And its time we had term limits in D.C. It’s time that we quit talking about the past. It's time that we start talking about what the new solutions are for us going forward.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I didn't quite understand part of your answer there. Republican nominee elected running against not Kamala Harris, but Joe Biden. Why would it be better to vote for a convicted felon than President Joe Biden?
HALEY: Well, you're assuming that he's convicted and you're assuming that he’s going to be the nominee, George.
STEPHANOPOULOS: No! You were asked a question that was based on that assumption and you said you would vote for him.
HALEY: Well, first of all a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris. You know that and I know that. There's no way Joe Biden would finish his term. I think Kamala Harris is going to be the next president and that should send a chill up every American's spine. But I also think the fact that we have a primary, a primary where -
STEPHANOPOULOS (shouts over Haley): Excuse me! Excuse me one second, Ambassador! How do you know Joe Biden is not going to finish his term? What is that based on?
HALEY: Ask Americans. Do you think he's going to finish his term? Do you think that he's actually going to finish what he started? We look at the decline he's had over the last few years. You have to be honest with the American people, George. There's no way Joe Biden's going to finish out a next term.
We can't have an 81-year-old president. We have to have a new generational leader. The Senate has become the most privileged nursing home in the country. We have got to start making sure we have a new generation. Everybody feels that Republicans, Democrats, and independents feel that. And it's time the media acknowledge that.
Y'all want to talk about Joe Biden and Donald Trump. We want to talk about the future of this country. That's what we have to start doing.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Again, you didn't answer the question. What evidence do you have that he's not going to finish the term? What Americans feel has no basis on whether he’s going to finish his term.
HALEY: I mean, if you look at the decline. I mean, every person should be able to tell what country they were in the week before. He couldn't do that. Every person should be able to tell how many grandchildren they have. It’s the reason I’ve asked for mental health competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. I don't care if we do it over the age of 50, but we need to understand that the people in D.C.
They're making decisions on our national security. They're making decisions on the future of our children's economic policy. We need to make sure we've got someone at the top of their game. Joe Biden is not at the top of his game. You know it. I know it. The American people know it.
STEPHANOPOULOS (speaking over Haley): You agree with him on Ukraine.
HALEY: We need a leader at the top of the game.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I was watching the debate, you agree with what he’s doing on Ukraine.
HALEY: I agree with the fact that we need to defend Ukraine. I think Ukraine is a front line of defense for us defeating Russia. The same way I think that we have to make sure that we fund Israel, that we have to make sure we have the back of Taiwan. So yes, I think we need to defend Ukraine, but that's not about Joe Biden. That's about strong American national security.
STEPHANOPOULOS: That he is leading right now. Ambassador Haley, thank you very much for your time this morning.
