Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

CNN Host Presses Campaign Spox On Whether Black Men Aren’t Supporting Harris Due To ‘Sexism’

CNN's Kate Bolduan and Harris spox Michael Tyler

CNN host Kate Bolduan pressed Harris-Walz campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler Monday on whether sexism is playing into Vice President Kamala Harris’ struggling support with black men.

Former President Barack Obama suggested at a Thursday rally in Pennsylvania that Harris may be lagging with black men due to sexism. Tyler said Obama pointed out the “stark choice” between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump, leading Bolduan to repeatedly ask about whether Harris’ gender plays into her lagging support.

“He was definitely talking about stark choice, but very clearly he was suggesting, Michael … he says ‘part of it makes me think that well, you weren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, so you’re thinking of either sitting out or even supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you because you have a sign of strength because that’s what a man is, putting women down, that’s not acceptable.’ It’s very clear that he’s suggesting that sexism is at play for why some black men he’s concerned aren’t going to turn out,” Bolduan said, quoting Obama.

“Yeah, and he was also very clear that there’s one candidate in this race who actually has the interest of black men at heart, and that’s Vice President Harris. He’s also equally clear that black men who are capable of exercising our power to decide the fate of this election. Black men are going to do that and they’re going to do that on behalf of the vice president because this campaign is going to make sure that black men understand what’s at stake, the campaign is gonna make sure that black men understand there’s a candidate in Vice President Kamala Harris who’s actually fighting for them,” Tyler said.

WATCH:

Tyler accused Trump of “denigrating” black men throughout his career, arguing that the campaign would reach out and win with black, male voters. Bolduan, not appearing satisfied with the answer, pressed once again on whether the campaign agrees with Obama’s accusations about sexism.

“No, what we are focused on, what the campaign understands is that for too long, too many black men have felt as though candidates running for office have centered our concerns, have centered our anxieties, and centered our dreams and our aspirations. And the vice president, long before she was a candidate, that’s exactly what she has done. So we’re bringing that to this campaign down the stretch and make sure that black men understand that there’s gonna be somebody who will be thinking about them when she sits behind the resolute desk,” Tyler said.

The percentage of black men favoring Republicans surged from 7% in 2016 to 15% in 2024, a worrying sign for Democrats from the traditionally reliable voting bloc, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released Saturday.

A CNN/SSRS poll from September 26 found that Harris holds a 55-point lead among black voters under the age of 60, which lags behind President Joe Biden’s 71-point lead among the same demographic in 2020. Trump has been improving among black voters, particularly with those under the age of 40.