(DCNF)—Former White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley was incredulous on Monday when NewsNation host Dan Abrams suggested the media scrutinizes Vice President Kamala Harris’ rhetoric more than former President Donald Trump’s.
Trump remarked during a Friday speech that the “big wall wrapped around” former House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home didn’t prevent her husband from being attacked with a hammer. Abrams, on “Dan Abrams Live,” suggested the media didn’t give enough attention to Trump’s comments, arguing that if Harris had made “similar” remarks about an attack on Trump, it would have received far more coverage, to which Gidley disagreed.
“I wonder, Hogan, if there’d been sort of a similar comment made about, like, I don’t know, the assassination attempt on Trump or whatever,” Abrams said. “I mean, it would be nonstop, but it does seem that he has the ability to say whatever he wants and there is no level of accountability or change in the poll.”
WATCH:
'Are You Kidding?': Ex-Trump Spox Aghast When Anchor Suggests Media Tougher On Harris Than GOP Nominee pic.twitter.com/Hl0qZZbJGt
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 10, 2024
“I wouldn’t say that. I think when we were in the White House, of course, all the data and metrics showed 95% of the news coverage against Donald Trump was in fact negative, didn’t matter what he did. It didn’t matter that you had low taxes. It didn’t matter that you could afford groceries,” Gidley retorted. “They went after him all the time anyway. There were peace deals, Middle East, they didn’t care. It still was a factor that the press largely will carry the water and cover up to the left. That’s just the way it goes.”
The former White House deputy press secretary also predicted the media will take a short clip of Trump’s remarks in the Tuesday debate against Harris and will only focus on that.
“But that wouldn’t be happening if it was Kamala Harris?” Abrams asked. “I mean, if it was Kamala Harris who made a similar comment, of course, the media would be talking about it.”
“Are you kidding? What are you talking about?” Gidley asked.
Trump and Harris will compete in their only scheduled presidential debate on ABC News. NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd on Monday said the “biggest risk” for Trump in the debate is whether or not he can refrain from levying “personal” attacks against Harris.