A CNN panel discussion became heated on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, when Kevin O’Leary, a businessman and star of “Shark Tank,” referred to former Vice President Kamala Harris as a “loser” after her loss in the 2024 presidential election.

This contentious moment occurred during CNN’s NewsNight program as panelists analyzed the Democratic Party’s strategy following President Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race. O’Leary criticized the party for not holding a traditional primary process when selecting Harris as the nominee after Biden’s withdrawal following a subpar debate against Donald Trump.

“They did not run a process. They picked a loser, and she lost, and she got slaughtered because they didn’t run a process,” O’Leary stated during the panel.

The remark prompted immediate responses from fellow panelists, including CNN political commentators Bakari Sellers, Karen Finney, and podcast host Van Lathan, who defended Harris and opposed O’Leary’s depiction.

Lathan quickly interrupted, advocating for respect for Harris, while Finney argued that calling the former vice president a “loser” was disrespectful. Both commentators seemed visibly upset by O’Leary’s harsh evaluation.

The debate became more contentious as O’Leary remained firm in his stance. Despite the objections from other panelists, he insisted that he was merely stating facts about the election outcome, leading to increased tension on the set.

CNN political commentator Scott Jennings tried to steer the conversation toward former President Biden’s absence from the public eye after his withdrawal. Jennings raised questions about who was making significant policy decisions during the transition period, noting that Biden “basically disappeared” following his exit.

“At that point, if he was not fit to run for office, I argued at the time he was not fit to serve in the office at the time, yet he was,” Jennings said, expressing concern over who was making “monumental policy decisions” during that period.

As the debate intensified, Sellers defended Harris, insisting there was “nothing about Kamala Harris that’s a loser,” leading O’Leary to reinforce his position.

The panel descended into chaotic crosstalk as multiple voices vied for attention. O’Leary’s voice rose above the others as he reiterated that Harris was “slaughtered” in the election because the Democratic Party had “anointed” her, bypassing a competitive primary process.

CNN host Abby Phillip attempted to regain control of the segment by noting that Harris was duly elected as vice president in 2020 on Biden’s ticket. O’Leary countered that Harris had never been elected president and reiterated that she was “anointed” as the nominee.

Before the segment concluded, O’Leary criticized Harris’s communication skills, saying she “couldn’t put two sentences together,” prompting Phillip to disagree, stating, “We know that is not true.”

The heated exchange highlights broader tensions in American political discourse following the 2024 presidential election. Harris’s nomination followed Biden’s unexpected decision not to seek reelection, a move following speculation about his age and fitness for office. The Democratic Party’s decision to rally around Harris without additional primaries has been debated by political analysts from both parties.

The discussion on CNN stemmed from a segment about an upcoming book titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson. According to reports, top Harris advisor David Plouffe criticized Biden’s delayed exit, which he argued significantly hindered Harris’ campaign.

O’Leary, 70, is known for his blunt assessments on “Shark Tank” and in media appearances. Before his television career, he co-founded SoftKey Software Products, later renamed The Learning Company, which Mattel acquired for $4.2 billion in 1999. He first appeared on the Canadian show “Dragons’ Den” before joining the American version “Shark Tank” in 2009.

Known as “Mr. Wonderful,” O’Leary has built a reputation as an unfiltered business expert who does not shy away from harsh truths. This approach has made him a polarizing but popular figure on television, where his direct style often generates headlines.

The CNN segment concluded with the disagreement unresolved as the program moved to another topic. The exchange clip quickly circulated on social media, drawing reactions from both O’Leary’s supporters and those who viewed his remarks as excessively harsh.

This incident comes amid ongoing analysis of the 2024 election results and discussions about the Democratic Party’s future direction. Political strategists have debated whether a more traditional primary process might have produced a different outcome or better prepared the nominee for the general election against Trump.