Kamala Harris to Stephen Colbert: Trump Holding America ‘Hostage’ over Infrastructure

Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, California Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris accused President Donald Trump of holding America “hostage” over the approval of new infrastructure projects.

On Wednesday, Trump indicated that he would refuse to work with Democrats are new infrastructure projects unless they halt their investigations into whether he obstructed justice during the Mueller investigation.

When asked by Colbert whether Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee would halt their investigations, Kamala Harris replied, “no,” to rapturous applause and cheers from the audience. The 54-year-old Senator has previously expressed a view that Trump’s primary motivation was the obstruction of justice.

“Let’s just talk for a moment about this,” Harris began. “So he’s going to hold America’s infrastructure hostage, right, over the issue of the investigation. Stephen, almost half of American families are a $400 unexpected expense away from complete upheaval.”

“If you want to talk about a representative government, and shouldn’t leaders lead on behalf of the people as opposed to self-interest, then just connect all the dots,” she continued, in an apparent pitch to the Democratic base. “Right now, families are suffering.”

TONIGHT: Presidential candidate Senator @KamalaHarris explains why Democrats can get stuff done for America AND investigate Trump at the same time. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/HXQSui5Wf8

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) May 23, 2019

Harris also rejected a suggestion from Colbert that Democrats could “pause” their investigations to allow the approval of infrastructure projects.

“No, this is a false choice,” the Whiter House hopeful contended. “We cannot abandon our democracy for the sake of appeasing somebody who is completely focused on his interests only.”

Harris was once seen as a frontrunner in the race for the Democratic nomination. However, her poll numbers have lagged in recent weeks, with the RealClearPolitics putting her average support at 7.4 percent, well behind the likes of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Joe Biden, who leads the pack with an average 35 percent support.

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