Fox News' Bill Hemmer on Tuesday challenged Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign communications director, Michael Tyler, about why President Joe Biden's speech didn't begin until late the night before.
Biden took the stage near midnight on the East Coast, well after he was scheduled to deliver his main speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. America's Newsroom's Hemmer was incredulous when Tyler suggested Biden's speech was delayed because of frequent applause breaks for the speakers who took to the stage before the president's speech. (RELATED: Kamala plans to distance herself from Biden, days after KJP called them “critical partners”)
clock:
'Should we believe it?': Fox News' Bill Hemmer presses Harris campaign official over Biden's delayed speech excuse pic.twitter.com/tuSzlfqt7E
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 20, 2024
“Yes, we were a little behind schedule, but the fact is that there was speech after speech, with lots of applause and interruptions,” Tyler said. “And as you saw last night, we are united in our Democrats, we are united in our appreciation for President Biden, we are united in our support for Kamala Harris, we are united in our enthusiasm for this election because we fundamentally understand what this election means.”
The communications director went on to share his thoughts on the “stakes” in this presidential election and the “excitement” at the Democratic National Convention.
“So, were there too many people clapping?” Hemmer asked, laughing. “Was that the reason? Do you believe that? The difference is, [Republican National Convention]”When the game goes long, we often make cuts to keep the program tight. That wasn't the case last night.”
“That is true. We had to cut some elements last night in order to get to the President as quickly as possible so the American people could see him,” Tyler responded. “Of course, we're going to make some adjustments to shorten the schedule today so we can get him on primetime speaking engagements as soon as possible, but no matter what, what you're going to see is unmatched enthusiasm.”
Former CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza suggested Monday that Biden's anger was the reason he planned to leave the DNC and vacation to California after the speech. He noted that Biden didn't want to end his half-century political career with a speech on “the most unwanted night” of the DNC, and said the president was angry at the party for forcing him to halt his reelection campaign.
“I think it says something that Joe Biden is leaving Chicago after his speech on Monday night, not attending any more conventions, and going on vacation in California. It's hard to get any further away, right? … There's symbolism in that, you know? He's been pushed out,” Cillizza said. “He's watched over the last three weeks, well, a month, a guy who no one thought could win this election get emboldened by excited Democrats who were totally indifferent to Biden. That's a hard truth to accept, but it's a truth and I think it's OK to acknowledge it.”
“Joe Biden is angry. He wanted to end his legacy differently,” he continued, adding, “But I think it's really important to recognize that he's also a human being and what's happened over the last two months is really, really, really painful. And the fact that he finished his speech on Monday night and rushed out of the convention is very, very indicative.”
As an independent, nonpartisan news service, all content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation is available free of charge to any legitimate news publisher with a large readership. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and affiliation with the DCNF. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
