CNN panel pushes back on liberal commentator defending Harris skipping Rogan podcast

A CNN panel shut down liberal political commentator Bakari Sellers on Tuesday after he defended Vice President Kamala Harris for skipping an interview with Joe Rogan.

"Let's also talk about how pompous Joe Rogan is, just for one second, I need to add a footnote from the Harris campaign. And how Joe Rogan literally wanted the Vice President of the United States to come to Austin, Texas to sit in his studio when she actually said and agreed to do an interview, but they had to do it for an hour in Washington, D.C. because she literally is the Vice President of the United States," Sellers told the panel. 

"For somebody to have the audacity to believe that the vice president must come to me, I think is a pompous footnote that needs to be added," he added.

Rogan said Harris had an opportunity to come and do an interview with him while she was in Texas, and said she had an open invitation. The Harris campaign reportedly wanted Rogan to come to Washington, D.C. to do the interview and said they could only do an hour. Former President Trump joined Rogan for an interview ahead of the election that lasted three hours in his studio in Austin, Texas. 

JOE ROGAN TELLS TRUMP THE ‘WILD S---’ HE SAYS FUELED HIS POPULARITY DURING THREE HOUR PODCAST INTERVIEW

CNN's Bakari Sellers defended Kamala Harris on Tuesday for skipping the Joe Rogan podcast interview and argued the host shouldn't have demanded the VP fly to Texas for the interview.  (Screenshot/CNN)

The Wall Street Journal's Annie Linskey reminded Sellers that the Democratic Party was always saying they are willing to meet voters where they are. 

"It was a convenient way to get out of the interview, she's got a plane, she could go anywhere," Republican strategist Brad Todd said.

Axios reporter Alex Thompson said that Harris was already in Houston, Texas, around the same time.

"I think if she wanted to do the interview, she could have," CNN host Kasie Hunt added.

Sellers pushed back and defended the vice president again, adding, "Kamala Harris is not a candidate for President of the United States alone. Kamala Harris is also Vice President of the United States of America. And we can‘t say ‘Oh, well, that, well, she could.’ It doesn‘t work that way."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Carrie Blast Furnaces in Pittsburgh, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Todd responded by noting that Rogan has a huge audience. 

"Donald Trump is also the former president, and he went to Austin," Thompson added. Sellers said that Trump was "unemployed," and argued Harris had a job.

"Not a lot of duties of the vice president," Linskey added before the panel broke for commercial.

Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.