In the first TV interview on the conservative channel Fox News with the US presidential candidate, Kamala Harris had a heated exchange with the moderator. The conversation, which lasted around 30 minutes, had the character of a duel – it kept getting loud. Moderator Bret Baier began the conversation with the issue of migration, which was central to the election campaign, and interrupted the Democrat several times. Harris got defensive right at the beginning, but recovered as the conversation progressed. The interview was significantly more confrontational than the Democrat’s previous conversations with US broadcasters.
Would you like to know everything about US politics?
The starThe local team informs you every Saturday in the free newsletter “Inside America” about the most important developments and provides insights into how Americans really look at their country. Click here to register.
After entering your email address, you will receive an email confirming your registration.
Fox News insists on the issue of migration
In the eagerly awaited interview, Baier directly pressured the Democrat with several questions about migration. As US Vice President, Harris is responsible, among other things, for the issue of immigration. Her Republican rival Donald Trump repeatedly attacks the 59-year-old on this issue and accuses her of failing. During the election campaign, the Democrat visited the US border with Mexico to get an idea of the situation there.
“Can I finish answering?” Harris asked again and again while Baier interrupted her during the interview. It is right that the American people want to have a discussion about migration before the election. But what people didn’t want were “political games,” said Harris, referring to Trump. The Democrat was floundering and tried to counter it.
Baier asked Harris, for example, whether she owed an apology to the families of women murdered by migrants. “First of all, let me say that these are tragic cases. There is no doubt about that,” responded US Vice President Harris. The US migration system has been broken for a long time. Congress is responsible for fixing it, Harris said, accusing Republicans and Trump of blocking solutions.
Bret Baier: “How many illegal immigrants would you estimate your administration has released into the country over the last three and a half years?”
Kamala Harris: “Bret, let’s just get to the point, OK? The point is that we have a broken immigration system that needs to be… pic.twitter.com/Do3DeQJMuM
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 17, 2024
Baier then directed the conversation to the topic of gender reassignment surgery and the rights of transsexuals, which conservatives have repeatedly politicized. The moderator asked the US vice president whether taxpayer money should be used for this. Harris responded that Trump was spending millions of dollars on ads “to create a sense of fear among voters because he doesn’t actually have a plan in this election that focuses on the needs of the American people.”
Kamala Harris “doesn’t want to be a continuation of Joe Biden”
As acting deputy, Harris is repeatedly blamed for government mistakes during the election campaign, including several times in the Fox News interview. “When did you first notice that President (Joe) Biden’s mental abilities appeared to be diminished?” Baier asked. Harris paused and then replied: She had met Biden at least once a week for three and a half years and she had no concerns.
The Democrat tried to direct the conversation to her opponent Trump: The American people are worried about the ex-president, said Harris. The people who would know him best – even his former White House aides – considered the Republican “unsuitable and dangerous” and said he “should never be president of the United States again.”
When asked what distinguishes her from Biden, Harris deliberately distanced herself: “Let me be clear that my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.” Like every new person in the office, she will bring her life experience, her professional experience and “fresh, new ideas.” She also represents a new generation.
Donald Trump: Fox News has become “weak and soft.”
Trump’s campaign team called the interview a fiasco and described Harris as “angry and defensive.” Baier is the chief political anchor at Fox News. His focus is on political analysis, interviews and news. Trump had already attacked the moderator before the interview was broadcast. He accused Baier on his online platform Truth Social of not attacking the left hard enough. “I would have preferred to see a journalist who asked questions more persistently, but Fox has become so weak and soft on the Democrats.” After the interview, a Fox News commentator told Baier that he had “won” the interview.
Change of strategy in the election campaign
Harris was accused, especially in the early stages of her candidacy, of avoiding interviews and thus avoiding critical questions. Recently she has given several interviews – including with CNN, CBS and ABC News, which are considered to be more liberal channels and tend to be more favorable to the Democrats. The Democrat also gave interviews to various podcasters in order to appeal to a younger target group. Trump and his running mate JD Vance are pursuing a similar strategy. Vance particularly tries to woo young men and appears on relevant podcasts.
There are reports that Harris is also planning an appearance on popular podcaster Joe Rogan’s show – although these have not yet been confirmed. Rogan has a history of spreading misinformation and racist remarks, for which he has apologized. In the past, his guests have also included people who spread conspiracy theories.
