CNBC Host Grills Former GOP Senator over Refusal to Endorse Trump or Harris

Former Republican Senator Pat Toomey faced intense scrutiny from CNBC host Joe Kernen after declaring that he would not vote for either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election.

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CNBC Host Grills Former GOP Senator over Refusal to Endorse Trump or Harris

CNBC host Joe Kernen engaged in a heated exchange with former Republican Senator Pat Toomey on Tuesday, grilling him over his decision not to support either presidential candidate in the 2024 election. Kernen argued that by not endorsing Trump, Toomey was effectively giving a vote to Harris.

"Anti-Trump Republicans give me a list of reasons why Kamala Harris would be the worst thing to ever happen, but still won't vote for Trump," Kernen said. "It's a binary choice. So a vote not for Trump is a vote for Harris."

CNBC Host Grills Former GOP Senator over Refusal to Endorse Trump or Harris

Toomey, who retired from the Senate in 2022, explained that he supported Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections but withdrew his support after the January 6th attack on the Capitol. He also voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment.

"When you lose an election, and you try to overcome the results so that you can stay in power, you lose me," Toomey told Kernen. "So you prefer Kamala Harris?" Kernen pressed.

CNBC Host Grills Former GOP Senator over Refusal to Endorse Trump or Harris

"I acknowledge that the outcome is a binary situation, but my choice is not," Toomey defended. Kernen continued to challenge Toomey, asking if he would support Trump if the election came down to "one vote."

"It is an acceptable position for me to say that neither of these candidates can be my choice," Toomey replied. "It's going to be one or the other," Kernen said, reminding Toomey of the potential tax increases under Harris's economic plan.

CNBC Host Grills Former GOP Senator over Refusal to Endorse Trump or Harris

Toomey reiterated that he was not endorsing Harris either, citing her vice-presidential pick of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as evidence of the "left wing" running the Democratic Party. He argued that Republican control of the Senate was crucial to thwart the policies a Harris administration could promote.

"If the other side runs the table," Toomey said, "they will repeal the filibuster and they will be dragged by their left wing, which is clearly in charge now. I think Kamala Harris proved that with her vice-presidential election."

Kernen countered that as president, Harris could still implement her far-left policies through executive orders and appointments. Toomey acknowledged the potential damage but insisted that a Republican Senate could mitigate it through its power of confirmation.

The heated exchange between Kernen and Toomey highlights the growing divisions within the Republican Party as it grapples with the legacy of Trump and seeks to navigate the upcoming presidential election.