Maggie Haberman sees ‘coordinated effort’ by Kamala Harris to avoid this Trump ‘bait’

Vice President Kamala Harris seemed to keep things moving when asked about Donald Trump’s “accidental black” attack in what New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Thursday called the former president’s “bait” move.

Harris — in her first interview alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz since entering the 2024 race — was asked about Trump’s comments by CNN’s Dana Bash.

The vice president called it the GOP nominee’s “same old tired playbook.”

“Next question please,” Harris told the CNN host.

“That’s it?” Bass asked.

“It is,” Harris replied.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper said the answer showed Harris was “clearly” ready for the question, choosing to just “push it aside” and not “go down that rabbit hole.”

Haberman told Cooper that the Harris campaign has made a “very concerted effort” not to be “baited.”

“And Trump has tried very hard to woo her and her supporters on issues related to race, on issues related to gender and her campaign, and the vice president is not interested in that,” said Haberman, who also serves as serves as an advisor. political analyst for CNN.

She continued, “Now I don’t know if at some point they will strategically decide to say more or involve more. The debate could be a place where they do that. It may not be the place where they do that.”

Haberman then pointed to Harris’ “very successful” conference and speech, which “really didn’t address” the historic nature of her candidacy.

“Other people talked about that in their speeches, they didn’t, and you know, I think there are different reasons for that,” she said, “but that was a very intentional response that I think you’ll hear a lot about. ”