The Harris-Walz campaign appears to be in damage control mode following what is being widely regarded as a disastrous interview with Fox News. While Harris has largely avoided television and podcast interviews throughout much of the campaign, she has been making a concerted effort to increase her media appearances in recent weeks. This strategy aligns with an internal memo obtained by the New York Times, which acknowledged that both Harris and Walz’s limited interview presence is detrimental to the campaign.
Typically, the vice president has engaged with left-leaning and more accommodating outlets, but on Wednesday, Harris ventured out of her comfort zone for an interview with Fox News. Host Bret Baier posed several challenging questions regarding her record, support for President Biden’s policy goals, and her overall failure to articulate concrete policy objectives. [see full video below]
At one point during the discussion, Baier asked Harris how she could campaign on providing “a new way forward” while being part of the current administration. He also referenced a recent Marquette University poll indicating that 70 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. “More than 70 percent of people tell the country is on the wrong track. They say the country is on the wrong track. If it’s on the wrong track, that track follows three and a half years of you being vice president and President Biden being president. That is what they’re saying,” Baier said.” Why are they saying that? If you’re turning the page, you’ve been in office for three-and-a-half years.”
Harris refused to directly answer that question — and most others — and instead tried to pin the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying he “has been running for office” for years before Baier reminded her that she is the incumbent. At that point, Harris issued a bizarre reply, saying “You and I both know what I’m talking about. You and I both know what I’m talking about.” But Baier responded: “I actually don’t. What are you talking about?” But the vice president once again failed to provide a coherent response and began to talk about Republican policies “over the last decade.”
An irate Harris also asserted that the former president would arrest his political opponents, despite her own administration having jailed nearly 2,000 Americans for protesting the 2020 election and pursuing questionable charges against their leading political rival. Throughout the interview, Harris consistently dodged questions in favor of launching attacks on former President Trump, which became a recurring theme. “You’ve called Donald Trump… he’s ‘misguided,’ you say now he’s unstable, he’s not well, you say he’s mentally not stable,” Baier said, at which point the Democratic nominee doubled down. “He is unstable Bret.”
“Let me ask you this, you told many interviewers that Joe Biden was on his game, that ran around circles on his staff. When did you first notice that President Biden’s mental faculties appeared diminished? the Fox News host then followed up, leading Harris to demure.
“Joe Biden, I have watched in from the Oval Office to the Situation Room and he has the judgment and the experiment and experience to do exactly what he has done in making very important decisions on behalf of the American people,” Harris replied, adding that she has no concern over Biden’s cognitive abilities. The vice president then continued to say, “Donald Trump is on the ballot” as Baier ticked off examples of Biden’s deteriorating condition, including a statement from Hollywood actor George Clooney, who said the president is “not the same Joe Biden.”
When discussing illegal immigration, the vice president reverted to the campaign’s typical talking point, blaming the record-high illegal immigration numbers during the Biden-Harris Administration on House Republicans. Harris has frequently claimed that the U.S. Senate had reached a “bipartisan border deal” that was derailed by former President Trump. However, the reality is that the “deal” was significantly different from what Walz described.
The Senate bill would have permitted up to 5,000 illegal aliens per day, allocated tens of millions in funding for NGOs and lawyers to expedite asylum claims, and accelerated the distribution of green cards. Additionally, it included hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other nations. Baier was forced to interrupt Harris’ border monologue — in which she blamed the crisis on Trump — to note that even six Democrats voted against the border “deal.” He said: “Six Democrats voted against that bill. It would have allowed 1.8 million illegal immigrants into the country a year. A lot of conservatives had a problem with it.”
Here’s the full interview:
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.