Former Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly lashed out at CNN anchor Anderson Cooper after a tense 2024 interview, according to a new political book.
In Original Sin, authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, Harris is quoted criticizing Cooper to colleagues in private.
She allegedly referred to Cooper as a “motherf***er” following the interview, which focused on President Joe Biden’s poor performance during his debate with Donald Trump.
“This motherf***er doesn’t treat me like the damn vice president of the United States,” Harris said, according to an excerpt.
She reportedly added, “I thought we were better than that,” referring to her expectations of how she would be treated by CNN.
The interview aired in June 2024, shortly after Biden’s debate performance raised concerns among Democrats and the broader public, per the Conservative Brief.
During the interview, Cooper highlighted how some Democrat lawmakers privately described the debate as a “disaster” and a “trainwreck.”
He noted that Biden failed to effectively counter Trump’s statements during the event and lacked energy throughout the night.
Harris responded by brushing off the criticism, insisting that voters should focus on Biden’s “substance” and accomplishments over debate optics.
She claimed Biden’s presidency had been “historic” and dismissed the suggestion that he was mentally diminished on stage.
Cooper pushed further, pointing out that Harris herself had debated Biden in 2020 and that he seemed like a “very different person” now.
Harris cut him off, saying she didn’t want to focus on “90 minutes” of debate compared to Biden’s “three-and-a-half years” in office.
The exchange grew more tense as Harris appeared visibly frustrated, refusing to directly address questions about Biden’s cognitive health.
Public speculation about Biden’s mental acuity persisted throughout his term, especially as he often appeared frail and disengaged in public settings.
Then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden multiple times, calling reports about his decline “hearsay” and “ridiculous.”
In June 2022, when CNN’s Don Lemon asked whether Biden had the stamina for a second term, Jean-Pierre appeared shocked and dismissed the question.
She stated, “That is not a question that we should be even asking,” while praising Biden’s work ethic and leadership.
Concerns intensified in 2023 after Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to prosecute Biden over classified documents, citing Biden’s poor memory as a key factor.
Hur’s report described Biden as a sympathetic “elderly man with a poor memory,” raising new alarms about his capacity to serve.
Jean-Pierre responded forcefully, calling that description “gratuitous,” “unacceptable,” and something that “does not live in reality.”
Despite public reassurances, Biden’s behavior on the debate stage and behind the scenes continued to fuel concerns about who was truly making decisions in the White House.
