Willie Brown gives epic response after Newsmax host asks awkward question about relationship with Harris

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Willie Brown lashed out at Newsmax host Rob Finnerty as he tried to insinuate that the former San Francisco mayor influenced Vice President Kamala Harris​' successful political career. 

Brown spoke to Finnerty on Tuesday, August 20, amid Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Harris is set to officially accept the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday. 

Newsmax's Rob Finnerty questions Willie Brown over his hand in Kamala Harris' political career

During the interview, Newsmax host Rob Finnerty said, "You dated Kamala Harris for a brief time back in the 1990s. Now she's on the verge of the White House. The convention is happening in Chicago. To me, when I read about this story, that's the power of Willie Brown," as per Raw Story. 

He asked, "Without you, without your help, is Kamala where she is today?" to which Brown replied, "Absolutely. She's there based on her skill set."

The former mayor added, "She was a part of the city attorney's office in San Francisco, and she earned every bit of everything she was involved in there, and that translates into much of what she talks about on the stage."

Finnerty went on, "Because you know what the accusation is, and it might be unsavory, but it's that you were together, she was your, you were boyfriend and girlfriend, and you opened doors to her that otherwise wouldn't open up to somebody that young and maybe that inexperienced. I don't see how you didn't give her a leg up."

In retaliation, Brown remarked, "Well, let me assure you that Gavin Newsom is two years her junior. I started his career by direct appointment, ultimately to an elective office, which is now translated into the mayorship of San Francisco, the lieutenant governorship of the state of California, and now the governorship of the state of California and maybe, just maybe, when Kamala Harris has finished her tenure as a president, he may very well be the president that we will next be involved with, and I started that."

Willie Brown and Kamala Harris' relationship

Willie Brown and Kamala Harris were romantically involved with each other between 1994 and 1995. Brown, then the Speaker of the California State Assembly, was 60 years old while Harris was 29, according to Times Now. 

Soon after Harris announced her presidential bid, Republicans resurfaced claims of her apparent extramarital affair with Brown. While it's true that Brown was at the time still married to his wife Blanche Vitero, they had been separated for more than a decade. 

As speaker, Brown appointed Harris to the California Medical Assistance Commission, a point frequently used by conservatives when discussing his apparent influence over her political career. 

The allegations repeatedly came up as Harris ran for San Francisco District Attorney in 2003. She won the election with 56% of the vote in 2003, almost a decade after her romance with Brown. 

During an interview with SF Weekly in 2003, she tried to distance herself from the former San Fransico mayor, saying, "I refuse to design my campaign around criticizing Willie Brown for the sake of appearing to be independent when I have no doubt that I am independent of him." 

She stressed, "His career is over; I will be alive and kicking for the next 40 years. I do not owe him a thing." 

Willie Brown threatens to sue Donald Trump over 'fake' helicopter ride story

Willie Brown threatened to sue Donald Trump after the GOP presidential candidate shared that he was in a near-fatal emergency helicopter ride with the former San Fransico mayor some years back, according to The Independent.

During a Mar-a-Lago press conference, Trump said, "Well, I know Willie Brown very well. In fact, I went down in a helicopter with him. We thought, maybe this is the end. We were in a helicopter going to a certain location together, and there was an emergency landing."

He even claimed Brown told him "terrible things" about Harris during the ride. 

Brown disagreed with Trump's comments and remarked, "I’ve never done business with Donald Trump, let’s start with that. And secondly, I don’t think I’d want to ride on the same helicopter with him."

He added that the former president's story was a work of "creative fiction" and that "it’s so far-fetched, it’s unbelievable." Brown also said he might sue Trump over the false story, adding, "Somebody has got to make sure that he stops lying."