Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey avoided acknowledging that Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made a false claim during the debate last week when Harris said that there are no military members in an active combat zone.
“That was a comment in a debate,” Healey told ABC’s “This Week” host Martha Raddatz on Sunday. “I think the point that she was trying to make was a broader point.”
Raddatz and Healey were discussing the vice president’s debate performance, referring to a commonly fact-checked moment in which Harris said, “There is not one member of the United States military who is in active duty in a combat zone in any war zone around the world, the first time this century.”
ABC fact-checkers, for instance, specified that there are 900 U.S. military personnel in Syria and 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq. “We also have action in the Red Sea,” Raddatz said, adding that “every single day, the Navy SEALs, Delta Forces special operators can be part of any sort of deadly raid.”
When directly asked by Raddatz why Harris would make the claim, Healey deflected, instead comparing Harris’ character to Trump’s.
“I think what’s important here, Martha, is that Kamala Harris in contrast to Donald Trump demonstrated herself to be commander-in-chief. We are in a world where there are all sorts of conflicts and it’s all the more reason we need somebody who’s serious and who supports the military,” said Healey, who endorsed Harris the day after Biden dropped out of the race.
Raddatz doubled-down on her question.
“You say she demonstrated her ability to be commander-in-chief, but did she not know about these people in Syria and Iraq? Why would she say that?” Raddatz asked.
Healey pivoted to former President Donald Trump’s military history, saying that he “stands with Vladimir Putin. So, you know, I think that’s what’s really important. Kamala Harris, she respects our military, she respects our service members. Donald Trump calls them suckers and losers.”
“And it’s why Donald Trump’s former military generals support Kamala Harris,” Healey continued. “They say that Donald Trump shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office.”
