Politics

Harris attacked MAGA misogyny head-on in ‘Call Her Daddy’ interview

Published

2 years ago

November 11, 2024

Harris attacked MAGA misogyny head-on in ‘Call Her Daddy’ interview

Kamala Harris sat for an interview on the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy,” for an episode that was released over the weekend. The podcast, helmed by host Alex Cooper, is known for being particularly popular with young women.

The interview was part of the Democratic presidential campaign’s ongoing strategy of using sit-downs with nontraditional media sources to spread its messaging to targeted groups. Harris recently did an interview on “All the Smoke,” a sports-focused podcast known for its popularity among men of color. On Tuesday, she will be interviewed by Howard Sterna longtime shock jock with a large male audience.

The podcast, helmed by host Alex Cooper, is known for being particularly popular with young women.

Trump also has gone on a tour of nontraditional media, though his podcast-heavy schedule has seemed structured almost entirely to shore up his support with men (albeit in some pretty juvenile ways). Harris’ “Call Her Daddy” interview was the antithesis of that.

Where Trump and his movement have embraced the chauvinism of the 19th and 20th century and obsessed over “transwives ” — women defined by their roles as homemakers and caretakers — the Democratic candidate spoke to the podcast’s massive audience of women and encouraged them to define themselves.

Harris said her mom had taught her and her sister “the importance of us being able to express how we were feeling,” that they “had agency” in how their lives played out, and that they ought to “figure out how you can take charge of a moment.”

When Cooper asked Harris about Trump’s thinly veiled sexist attacks, in which he has called her “crazy, weak, fake and dumb,” the VP replied: “I think it’s really important not to let other people define you.”

At one point, the conversation shifted to the crisis of domestic and sexual violence against women. Cooper said many of her listeners have described the shame and the terror they feel about coming forward, but Harris — a former prosecutor — told listeners not to “quietly suffer” and advised them to “tell someone that you trust.”

And when Cooper asked about how we can make the country safer for women, Harris did an effective job of explaining how women’s economic independence factors into the equation. She said:

When a woman — and, in particular, if she has children — if she is economically reliant on her abuser, she’s less likely to leave. Because most women will endure whatever personal, physical pain they must in order to make sure their kids have a roof over their head, or food. So one of the ways that we know that women are able to walk away from abuse — and there are many layers to her being able to do that — but one of them is: Does she have the economic freedom to be able to do that? Right? So one of the ways that we know we can uplift the ability of women to have choices is uplift the ability of women to have economic health and well-being.

This narrative about empowering women economically runs counter to the GOP’s attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that can assist women in the workplace.

Harris also spoke about the impact of abortion bans, describing the harrowing reality of women who are forced to travel out of state to receive reproductive care — assuming they even have the money and means to do so.

And she attacked conservatives’ arcane view of women when asked to address Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ claim that Harris “doesn’t have anything keeping her humble” because she does not have biological children. (The vice president, of course, has two stepchildren.)

“I don’t think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble,” Harris said of Sanders. “Two, a whole lot of women out here who have a lot of love in their life, family in their life and children in their life, and I think it’s really important for women to lift each other up.”

The interview was essentially a message to young women that they don’t have to accept the MAGA movement’s restrictive roles for them — and that the Harris campaign supports them leading more self-determined lives.

Ya’han Jones

Ja’han Jones is The ReidOut Blog writer. He’s a futurist and multimedia producer focused on culture and politics. His previous projects include “Black Hair Defined” and the “Black Obituary Project.”

Politics

Mike Collins wins Georgia GOP Senate primary runoff to face Ossoff

Published

34 minutes ago

June 17, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Jun. 16, 2026, 8:43 PM EDT

Rep. Mike Collins won Georgia’s Republican Senate primary runoff Tuesday, defeating former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.

Now, he will have the far larger task of knocking off Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in one of the most competitive Senate race this election cycle.

The runoff was triggered after Collins and Dooley each failed to win a majority in the May 19 primary, forcing a second round in a contest that Republicans view as one of their best opportunities to flip a Democratic-held Senate seat in 2026. President Donald Trump endorsed Collins over the weekend, boosting his chances in the runoff.

Collins, a congressman representing Georgia’s 10th District, finished first in the primary. The trucking company owner and staunch ally of Trump built his campaign around support for the president’s agenda, border security, immigration enforcement and conservative cultural issues. Collins sought to portray himself as a proven conservative fighter with experience in Washington and strong ties to the Republican base.

Dooley, meanwhile, leaned on his name recognition as a former college football coach and member of one of Georgia’s most prominent political families. His father, Vince Dooley, was the legendary University of Georgia football coach and athletic director. Although Dooley has never held elected office, he has campaigned as a political outsider capable of attracting independent and swing voters in a general election.

Collins argued that Republicans need a candidate with a proven conservative record and close ties to Trump. Dooley has countered that his outsider status and broader appeal would make him a stronger challenger in November.

But some Republicans are worried about Collins, including his hardline stance on abortion rights and an Office of Congressional Conduct probe into his office’spotential misuse of resources that the Republican lawmaker has referred to as a “nothing burger.”

His social media tonewhich includes severely downplayingthe U.S. Capitol attack where some pro-Trump rioters injured members of law enforcement, gives credence to the president’s view of him as a “a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR,” as Trump wrote in his post endorsing Collins.

But those sentiments also spotligh a few of the vulnerabilities for a statewide candidate coming from a reliably red congressional district.

Collins will now face Ossoff, who is seeking a second term after winning a pair of runoff elections in 2021 that helped Democrats gain control of the Senate. Since taking office, Ossoff has built a national fundraising network. His re-election campaign has emphasized lowering costs for families, protecting access to healthcare, supporting economic development and promoting government accountability.

In a statement published shortly after Collins’ win, Ossoff called the congressman a “notorious bigot” who was under federal investigation.

“Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate Mike Collins is a notorious bigot, antisemite, and extremist currently under federal investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars,” Ossoff said. “Collins, who is only a congressman because his daddy was a congressman, voted to double health insurance premiums for more than a million Georgians, for the Iran War, and for the Trump tariffs.”

The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Collins used government funds to benefit an aide.

Georgia remains a key battleground state heading into the midterm elections. Once considered a reliably Republican stronghold, the state has become increasingly competitive over the past decade.

Republicans see Georgia as one of their strongest pickup opportunities in a midterm cycle where control of the Senate could once again hinge on a handful of closely contested races. Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to invest heavily to protect Ossoff’s seat, viewing him as a key part of the party’s future.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.

Politics

Rick Jackson wins Georgia GOP governor runoff, will face Bottoms in November

Published

2 hours ago

June 17, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Jun. 16, 2026, 9:49 PM EDT

Healthcare executive Rick Jackson clinched the Republican gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday, pulling off a win over Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and securing a spot in the November election against Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms.

The pair advanced from the Republican primary after neither candidate secured the majority needed to avoid a runoff on May 19.

The contest came as Republicans seek to hold the governor’s mansion in a state that has become one of the country’s premier political battlegrounds. Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited and cannot seek re-election, creating the first open governor’s race in Georgia since 2018. Kemp threw his weight behind Jones over the weekend.

Jackson, a businessman who entered politics as an outsider candidatesought to position himself as an alternative to career politicians. His campaign focused heavily on economic issues, government spending and opposition to what he describes as establishment politics.

Jackson has argued that Republicans need a nominee who can energize voters frustrated with the political system. He has also attempted to appeal to conservatives who want a candidate outside Georgia’s existing political leadership structure.

The runoff highlights divisions within the Georgia Republican Party over the direction of the state’s conservative movement after Kemp’s tenure. While both candidates embraced many of the same conservative policy positions, they have differed over experience, electability and the future of Republican leadership in the Peach State.

The race also attracted attention because of Georgia’s importance ahead of the midterms. Democrats have made significant gains in the state over the past decade, winning presidential and Senate races while turning Georgia into a key battleground. Republicans, however, have continued to perform strongly in statewide races, including Kemp’s decisive re-election victory in 2022.

Bottoms, who served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later worked in the Biden administration, secured the Democratic nomination and is preparing for a competitive general election campaign. Democrats view the open-seat contest as an opportunity to regain control of the governor’s office for the first time in more than two decades.

Ebony Davis is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW based in Washington, D.C. She previously worked at BLN as a campaign reporter covering elections and politics.