Katie Couric Pushes Back on Charlamagne Calling Kamala Harris ‘Authentic’: Going to ‘Differ With You On That’

Screenshot via Next Question podcast

Katie Couric pushed back on her guest Charlamagne Tha God after he called Vice President Kamala Harris “authentic,” countering that point by calling the vice president too scripted and cautious in her public appearances.

Charlamagne, host of The Breakfast Club radio show, asked Harris directly earlier this month about criticisms that she sticks to “talking points” too much and sounds “very scripted.” Harris told Charlamagne sticking to talking points is “discipline.”

On Couric’s Next Question podcast, released Thursday, Charlamagne looked back at the moment with Harris and said she’s being “authentically” herself, meaning a “seasoned veteran politician,” compared to the undisciplined former President Donald Trump.

Charlamagne said:

I think she said something in the beginning of our conversation when I brought up the fact that people say she’s very scripted, you know, people say she sticks to her talking points. She said, “You’re welcome,” you know? “I call that discipline.” And it made me think about something. I think that we’ve seen such a lack of discipline since Donald Trump came on the scene that we forgot what that looks like. So when you have a politician who is in an interview or in a conversation and they’re being disciplined, as she says, and getting their message across and telling us what their policies are and, you know, detailing their policies, it’s kind of like, “We want to be entertained,” right? And that’s not what I think we need from our politicians. So, to say, “do I think she was being authentic?” Yeah, I think she was being authentically who she is, which is a very disciplined, seasoned veteran politician.

Couric pushed back on this point and joined in on the criticisms of Harris, though admitting she’s been “better” as of late.

“I have to beg to differ with you on that point. I think that she takes a really long time to get to her point, and that she does rely on talking points too often. I think she’s gotten much better than she used to, but it’s almost as if she’s afraid to say something that will later come back to haunt her,” she said.

The veteran journalist also knocked Harris for not articulating a “true policy position” on issues.

Couric argued Harris leaves voters wanting compared to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton when it comes to communicating a specific plan.

“That’s been my experience and my experience watching her. I just wish she would say, ‘This is our plan,’ or, ‘You’re right, a lot of illegal immigrants have come into this country during the Biden administration, but this is why, and this is what I want to do about it moving forward,’ you know?” Couric said. “I don’t find her explanation of policy that compelling compared to, say, someone like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama.”

Charlamagne said he could “understand” Couric’s view on Harris and suggested Trump may be the only politician who doesn’t need to be cautious when speaking.

“I can understand what you’re saying. I think that a lot of politicians, at least disciplined ones, are scared of saying things that may come back to haunt them, but my thing is in 2024, what can truly come back to haunt you?” he said. “But then again, there’s only one Donald Trump. Nothing seems to haunt Donald Trump.”

Watch above via the Next Question with Katie Couric.