Alex Cooper Defends Decision To Interview Kamala Harris

Podcast host Alex Cooper, known for her popular Call Her Daddy show, recently addressed the backlash she faced following her interview with Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the November election. In a candid conversation with Forbes, Cooper expressed that despite the criticism, she does not regret the decision.

The 45-minute interview, which took place in October, as a part of the campaign’s strategic (and failed) media blitz, was intended to engage Cooper’s massive and predominantly female audience on abortion — one of the few advantages she had over Trump in polling, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

However, the interview created significant controversy, with many of Cooper’s listeners questioning the focus of the conversation.

In her interview with Forbes, Cooper explained that she felt a strong sense of responsibility to use her platform to address the issue of “women’s rights,” referring to abortion, though Trump has said on multiple occasions that he wouldn’t sign a national ban. “The entire focus [of this election] is on women’s bodies, and we’re losing rights by the day,” she said, underscoring her belief that the stakes were particularly high in this election cycle.

“As a woman, am I not going to do this? How am I going to look back at myself one day if I have children and look back at this decision?” This was a perplexing statement to many, given that the entirety of her conversation with Harris revolved around the termination of pregnancy. Cooper went on to express that she was proud of her choice and felt compelled to give Harris a platform to discuss policy issues that directly affected women.

Many of Cooper’s own fans expressed disapproval of the choice to focus on abortion, especially at a time when they felt there were other, more pressing issues to address. Some listeners pointed out that while Roe v. Wade was a significant issue, the broader concerns of everyday Americans—such as economic inflation, crime rates, and job security—deserved equal attention.

In response to the backlash, Cooper admitted that she was aware of her audience’s divide. She acknowledged that her listeners have differing opinions on political matters and that some might not share her views on abortion. “I knew there was going to be like, ‘Cancel Alex’ and all that,” she said, referring to the inevitable criticism that followed her decision. But Cooper maintained that she wasn’t overly concerned about the fallout, citing her experience in the public eye and her husband’s advice to weather the storm.

“I’ve been doing this for long enough now that every time that happens, Matt always looks at me and says, ‘Two weeks,’” she remarked. “Two weeks means two weeks, and the internet will be so over whatever happens.”

For some listeners, a discussion on “reproductive rights” alone seemed insufficient and even misguided when weighed against issues like inflation, crime, and immigration — especially when abortion is the one issue that most Americans can agree they knew where Harris stood, while she was notorious for changing her positions on almost every other priority leading up to Election Day.