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No, Kamala Harris did not walk out of this 2021 interview with Charlamagne Tha God
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We reviewed the full interview and it does not show Vice President Kamala Harris walking out of the interview with the comedian Lenard McKelvey, popularly known as Charlamagne Tha God.
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Harris, who appeared virtually, responded to McKelvey’s questions for nearly 21 minutes.
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During the interview, the topic of dementia did not come up.
Did Vice President Kamala Harris walk out of an interview with comedian and political commentator Lenard McKelvey, popularly known as Charlamagne Tha God?
No, but that’s what Donald Trump Jr. claimed happened when he twice reshared an old social media post from a fellow conservative.
"Triggered Kamala Harris walks out on Charlamagne Tha God after he exposed Joe Biden’s dementia," read the text across the Facebook video Trump Jr. shared Aug. 1 and Aug. 13.
The video showed McKelvey asking Harris, "Is it Joe Manchin or Joe Biden, Madam Vice President?" Harris began her answer with, "Come on, Charlamagne. It is Joe Biden. It is Joe Biden."
The video was a repost of a May 2023 video originally shared by conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, a supporter of former President Donald Trump.
The Facebook videos were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Threads, and Instagram.)
The clip originated from a Dec. 17, 2021, episode of "Tha God’s Honest Truth," a Comedy Central show McKelvey hosts. And this video’s caption is wrong on two fronts: Harris did not walk out on the video, and the conversation didn’t cover dementia.
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PolitiFact reviewed the full episode and found that throughout the nearly 21-minute interview, Harris, who appeared virtually and was seated behind a desk, answered McKelvey’s questions about the administration’s first year achievements and challenges.
One challenge the pair discussed was West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s blockade of legislation including the Biden-Harris administration’s Build Back Better plan. Manchin, who has since changed his party affiliation to independent, was a Democrat then and his vote in a Senate without a clear Democratic majority was crucial for the passage of bills.
At around the 15:20 minute mark, an aide for the vice president could be heard off-screen saying the interview had to wind down. The aide interrupted again at around the 18:20 minute mark to call time on the interview.
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McKelvey then asked his last question: "So, who is the real president of the country? Is it Joe Manchin or Joe Biden?" Harris rebuffed McKelvey’s assertion that Manchin controlled the government and defended the Biden administration’s record.
McKelvey and Harris ended with an exchange of pleasantries and greetings to each other’s families.
PolitiFact contacted Trump Jr. through his website and emailed the Trump Organization, for which Trump Jr. is executive vice president. We received no reply.
We rate the claim that Harris walked out of this 2021 interview False.
Our Sources
Facebook, Donald Trump Jr (archived link), Aug. 13, 2024
YouTube, Hell Of A Week: Vice President Kamala Harris Talks Student Loans, Build Back Better, and Republican Roadblocks, Dec. 17, 2021
NBC News, Sen. Joe Manchin leaves the Democratic Party and registers as an independent, May 31, 2024
NPR, Joe Manchin says he won't support President Biden's Build Back Better plan, Dec. 19, 2021
Facebook, Donald Trump Jr, Aug. 1, 2024
Facebook, Benny Johnson, May 9, 2023
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No, Kamala Harris did not walk out of this 2021 interview with Charlamagne Tha God
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