A CNN pundit and social justice advocate demanded that “white folks” be held accountable for not voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
During a Saturday appearance on CNN’s “First of All” with host Victor Blackwell, CNN pundit Angela Rye claimed that “white folks” should be held accountable for “not showing up to save democracy” if Harris loses the November election. Her comments were made during a discussion of the backlash from former President Barack Obama’s remarks scolding black men for not showing more enthusiasm for Harris’ campaign.
In his appearance in Arizona, Obama stated: “We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running. Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind — just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you understands the struggles [and the] pain and joy that comes from those experiences.”
He went on to claim that black men not supporting Harris was because of misogyny, stating: “Part of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.”
Obama criticized men for their reluctance to support a female president.
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 21, 2024
Blackwell cited Obama’s comments, asking Rye whether she thought that the Harris campaign or Obama should initiate “a course correction” after his comments received backlash.
“This is the first time since he was in Pittsburgh and invoked the potential of sexism in his appeal to black men to support the vice president,” the CNN host said. “Should there be a course correction because there was so much backlash to that framework? Was it a mistake for the former president to say what he did or to say it publicly?”
Instead of actually answering the question, Rye — a well-known race grifter — decided to pivot and focus on white people.
“You know, I think that it’s wonderful that President Obama is out hitting the trail for democracy, frankly,” she said. “And what I think is a mistake is to let white folks escape the accountability that they must face for not showing up to save democracy themselves.”
“They want to get mad at presidential candidates, right, when they don’t wear a flag lapel pin or they don’t see you pledging allegiance to the flag,” Rye added. “That’s what they want to get upset about. Now, the face of patriotism to them looks like trying to tear down the Capitol in a terrorist attack on January 6th, 2021.”
“The responsibility of saving democracy should be on the largest demographic in this country,” she continued. “That is white men and white women. I don’t want to see a women’s march with p—ssy hats come January if something doesn’t go right. What I want to see is for them to march theirselves [sic] to the polls.”
Rye concluded by claiming that black people “are doing our part,” but it was “time for white folks to turn their ire and their attention to each other to ensure they also do their part.”
.@angela_rye: “What I think is a mistake is to let white folks escape the accountability that they must face for not showing up to save democracy … The responsibility of saving democracy should be on the largest demographic in this country, that is white men & white women. pic.twitter.com/AjdbPYRGI0
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 19, 2024
