CNN’s Harwood: Immigration Suspension Looks Like Attempt to Gin Up Base, Distract

On Monday’s “CNN Tonight,” CNN White House Correspondent John Harwood reacted to President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. is temporarily suspending immigration into the country by stating the announcement and its timing “gives the appearance of a panic move to try to rouse his base and figure out something else to talk about other than his struggles to get on top of the coronavirus situation.”

Harwood said, “I’ve got to tell you, announcing this on a tweet after 10:00 at night, on a Monday night, gives every impression of a president who’s sitting back in his residence, watching TV, struggling with the pressure of this coronavirus situation, the harsh judgment that he’s getting from the American people, the harsh judgment he’s getting from other politicians, from news coverage. He knows he’s in very deep trouble and this is a — gives the appearance of a panic move to try to rouse his base and figure out something else to talk about other than his struggles to get on top of the coronavirus situation.”

Harwood added that he had a conversation with American Enterprise Institute Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies and former Bush NSC official Kori Schake where she said President Trump is “dangerous right now.”

He concluded that the move should have been done with more explanation.

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