During her CNN town hall on Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris named former President Trump over two dozen times. In Chester, Pennsylvania, she mentioned Trump by name 26 times. Overall, Trump was referenced 43 times by both Harris and moderator Anderson Cooper.
The event started at 9 p.m. and ended at 10:15 p.m. Harris faced questions about her border policies over the last three and a half years. She was pressed on how she would approach immigration differently if elected president.
Cooper questioned her support for a bipartisan bill that included funding for a border wall. This funding was something she previously criticized as a "stupid" idea when Trump promoted it.
"Let's talk about this compromise bill that you want to pass if you are elected," Cooper began. "Under Donald Trump, you criticized the wall more than 50 times."
Harris deflected, bringing Trump back into the conversation. "So remember, Donald Trump said Mexico would pay for it. Come on, they didn't. How much of that wall did he build? About 2%."
Later, Cooper asked her about her thoughts on the border wall. "I think what he did and how he did it did not make much sense," she replied, still avoiding directly naming Trump but critiquing his actions.
When discussing price gouging, Harris said she took action during her time as California's attorney general. She then criticized Trump for not attending the town hall. CNN had planned a debate between Harris and Trump, but he declined, leading to this town hall.
"Donald Trump should be here tonight to talk with you," Harris stated. "He refused to come. But part of his plan is a national sales tax of at least 20% on everyday goods. That would cost Americans an additional $4,000 a year."
On the topic of codifying Roe v. Wade, Harris again targeted Trump while advocating for ending the filibuster. "When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three justices to undo Roe v. Wade," she said. "And now, in 20 states, we have abortion bans."
Cooper also asked about a post comparing Trump to Hitler, referencing John Kelly's comments on Trump praising "Hitler's generals." Harris expressed concern, saying, "If the president is saying to his generals, in essence, 'Why can't you be more like Hitler's generals?' This is serious."
In her recent interview with Fox News, Harris cited Trump 23 times. When asked why many believe the country is on the wrong track, she responded, "And Donald Trump has been running for office since…"
Harris emphasized her campaign's theme of turning the page. "We’ve been burdened with the rhetoric from Donald Trump designed to divide our country," she said. "The strength of leadership is based on who you lift up."