Trump Campaign Spokesperson Spars With CNN Host Over Whether Harris Was ‘Appointed The Border Czar’

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt argued on Thursday with CNN host John Berman about whether Vice President Kamala Harris truly held the position of “border czar.”

Harris was commonly referred to as the “border czar” following her 2021 appointment by President Joe Biden to address the migrant crisis, but corporate media have sought to reverse this characterization since she launched her 2024 presidential campaign. Leavitt, on “CNN News Central,” described Harris as “the border czar” throughout the segment, with Berman repeatedly pushing back to dispute her characterization.

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“Kamala Harris was named the border czar and has allowed an open border policy of more than 11 million illegal people into our country that has caused a migrant crime epidemic across our nation as well,” Leavitt said. “Kamala Harris does not deserve a promotion, she deserves a demotion. And unlike Kamala Harris, President Trump has a strong record in his first term as president, where he secured the border, unleashed the might of our energy industry, ushered peace around this world. And that’s our case to make to voters across the country.”

“There’s more domestic energy production right now than there’s ever been in U.S. history and Kamala Harris was not the border czar, she was appointed to deal with the northern triangle,” Berman responded.

Biden appointed Harris to spearhead the administration’s efforts to mitigate migration from Central America to the U.S. southern border.

“Kamala Harris was named the border czar, she was appointed by Joe Biden in that position,” Leavitt told Berman. “And the truth is, the border has been a complete disaster. Everyone recognizes that.”

“She was not appointed the border czar,” Berman reiterated. “She was appointed to deal with the northern triangle.”

Leavitt responded twice that Harris was indeed appointed the border czar.

The Biden-Harris administration has presided over a border crisis that started after the administration walkedback several crucial policies that the Trump administration implemented. There have been at least 6.7 million migrant encounters at the southern border since 2021, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the House Committee on Homeland Security.

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