CNN anchor Abby Phillip appeared skeptical of one of Vice President Kamala Harris’ first economic policy proposals on Thursday.
During the segment, the host read aloud one commentator’s criticism of the price control proposal – that it was meant to pander to “economically illiterate” voters – and appeared to agree that it was a way to get cheap votes from those who don’t understand how the economy works.
“Is this just a ploy? Because it sounds kind of like it,” Phillip asked her guests, which included Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Democratic strategist Keith Boykin and Vanderbilt University professor Michael Eric Dyson.
CNN’s Abby Phillip debates with Vanderbilt professor Michael Eric Dyson about Vice President Kamala Harris’ price gouging policy proposal. (Screenshot/CNN)
The Harris campaign announced on Wednesday that she would institute a “federal ban on price gouging on food and groceries” as president in an attempt to stop “big corporations” from taking advantage of consumers.
Phillip introduced the topic, stating, “One of the things that we learned about her policy that she’s going to roll out is a ban — support for a ban on price gouging. Now, I think reasonable people would ask, what does that mean? What does that really mean, and how is the government going to be involved in it?”
She then read National Review author Noah Rothman’s criticism of the proposal to make her point:
“He describes this policy as ‘a rank pander to the economically illiterate, and despite the presence of many who fit that description in Congress, they understand that allowing the executive branch to functionally set prices is a brain-dead idea that would only hurt consumers in the long run.’”
Indicating her agreement with the National Review senior writer, Phillip told her guests the proposal “sounds kind of” like a ploy on the part of the Harris campaign.
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Harris’ campaign revealed her economic policy plan on Friday.
This sparked a disagreement between her and Dyson, who dismissed the criticism, saying, “Well, look, you know, if you like it, it‘s called good policy. If you don‘t like it, you call it pandering.”
“But is it really policy? I mean, ‘price gouging’?” Phillip asked, appearing incredulous.
Dyson’s follow up appeared to suggest it was not a realistic proposal. “Look, if she could do that, Lord, have mercy,” he said, adding, “I mean, she might need to be the pope as opposed to the president, but she‘s able at least to set the tone.”
Harris’ price control proposal took some heavy criticism from other liberal outlets shortly after the vice president announced it.
Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell attacked the idea in her column published Thursday, writing, “It’s hard to exaggerate how bad this policy is. It is, in all but name, a sweeping set of government-enforced price controls across every industry, not only food.”
The author added, “But more to the point: If your opponent claims you’re a ‘communist,’ maybe don’t start with an economic agenda that can (accurately) be labeled as federal price controls.”
The Harris campaign did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital‘s request for comment on Phillip’s comments.
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