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Joe Biden’s had such a bad week that even CNN is getting in on the act by grilling one of his top aides.
During an interview with Biden campaign communications director Kate Bedingfield, the left-leaning network’s anchor Brianna Keilar tried to get answers on the former vice president’s jarring recent shifts regarding his support of the Hyde Amendment.
Last month, the former VP told a supporter that he would commit to abolishing the amendment, which bans federal funding for abortions. On Wednesday, however, his campaign says he still supported it, sparking major backlash among progressives as well as his 2020 primary challengers. Late on Thursday, he reversed course again, declaring that he can no longer support the amendment.
During her interview with Keilar on Friday, Bedingfield began by insisting that his decision to oppose the Hyde Amendment wasn’t a “decision about politics” but about “health care,” echong Biden’s remarks from Thursday night that invoke the GOP lawmakers who have been passing abortion restrictions in several states.
“So why this change now?” Keilar asked. “Because if you’re trying to convince people that this isn’t about political expediency, which is part of Joe Biden’s hallmark or as he would hope it would be, then don’t you have to explain substantively how he changes his mind from Wednesday to Thursday on an issue as significant as this?”
Bedingfield, who also serves as the deputy campaign manager, responded by saying this was a “tough, personal decision” for Biden but that the “moment” has changed.
“Did he speak to advocates? How did he do it?” Keilar pressed. “Did someone give him evidence? What kind of evidence? Did he speak to advocates? Did he speak to women? What was the impetus? What was the inflection point that changed his mind?
The Biden campaign spokesperson responded by pointed to his pro-choice advocacy “his entire career” and insisted that his change on the Hyde Amendment conflicts with his prior views is “not true.”
“But changing from Wednesday to Thursday, explain to us how this happened… What was the thing that changed his mind?” Keilar continued. “All of those positions that you just explained are as they were on Wednesday when NBC News published their story that Joe Biden, according to his campaign still held his position, which he is now against.”
“Well, you heard him say it,” Bedingfield responded. “You’ve asked the question a lot of ways, I’ve answered it.”
“I don’t think you’ve answered it, Kate,” Keilar shot back. “Why doesn’t he explain it? He has not explained the process. This is a serious issue. He has not explained his evolution other than to say that he changed his mind.”
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The Biden spokesperson reiterated his remarks from Thursday night, which she believed explains how his views changed on the Hyde Amendment, but Keilar held no punches.
“And he thinks that’s going to fly as he is interviewed here in the coming weeks as a sufficient answer,” the CNN anchor said about Biden’s “authenticity,” something Bedingfield wasn’t concerned about.
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