Political analyst questions the way Kamala Harris apologized for her response to an offensive remark

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a Democratic presidential candidate, apologized Saturday for how she responded to a question from a voter who described President Trump's actions as "mentally retarded," saying she didn't hear "the words the man used in that moment, but if I had I would've stopped and corrected him." Harris' critics, however, are not buying the excuse.

Even some Democratic analysts, like Jamal Simmons, said it was "a bad moment." In the video which shows the exchange between Harris and the voter, the senator and the crowd laugh following the man's comments, to which Harris replied, "Well said." While there's no way to know for sure exactly what sparked Harris' laughter, the optics were certainly not great.

Simmons, in an appearance on CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday, told host Margaret Brennan that he thinks Harris' campaign would have been better served if she admitted to reacting poorly to the question instead of denying that she had heard the man correctly. Simmons did add that dealing with "bad moments" is simply what happens during campaigns. Tim O'Donnell

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up