Kamala Harris and Fox News host Bret Baier sparred repeatedly over immigration, Donald Trump and Harris’ record as vice president in a televised interview Wednesday night.
The two frequently spoke over one another in the contentious exchange, Harris’ first on Fox News since she took over as the Democratic nominee for president. At one point late in the interview, Harris and Baier almost finished complete sentences over each other.
Harris largely dodged questions about the Biden administration’s record on immigration, even as Baier repeatedly pressed her on the issue, a common Republican talking point ahead of the election.
Almost the entire first half of the interview was focused on immigration, with Harris repeatedly bringing up Trump’s move to kill a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year.
Baier focused on the Biden administration’s early decisions to reverse some of Trump’s border policies, which Harris did not directly address.
“We need more judges. We need to process those cases faster. We need the support then for those cases to be prosecuted,” Harris said. “They need more resources.”
Harris was also questioned about her recent comments that she would not do things differently than Biden had, and how her campaign slogan — “A New Way Forward” — contrasted with the fact that she has been vice president for the past three years.
“My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” Harris said, a line that even drew praise from Fox News analysts after the interview aired.
Harris’ interview with Fox News was the first time a Democratic presidential candidate sat down with the conservative-leaning network since Hillary Clinton spoke with Chris Wallace in 2016. Baier — who previously interviewed Barack Obama in the White House in 2010 — has been considered one of the channel’s more neutral voices.
Unlike in some of Harris’ earlier interviews, Baier pressed the vice president when she veered into standard talking points at the expense of direct answers. However, his commitment to questioning clashed with Harris’ desire to finish her points, creating many moments when both were speaking at the same time.
Afterward, Baier said he was trying to redirect Harris to give more straightforward answers.
Fox News analysts expressed a desire for at least one more debate between the two presidential candidates. Harris has asked for a second televised debate after her first appearance against Trump on Sept. 10, though any such showdown remains unscheduled just 20 days from Election Day, with people in some states having already voted early.
Harris frequently brought up Trump in the interview, calling him a danger to American democracy. She pivoted to speaking about 78-year-old Trump when asked about if and when she had noticed any mental decline from President Biden.
Additionally, she mentioned Trump’s own Fox News interview last week, in which he suggested using the U.S. military against “radical left” citizens. Trump doubled down on those comments in a Fox News town hall that aired Wednesday morning, again mentioning “the enemy from within.”
Unlike Harris, who has stepped up media appearances in recent weeks, Trump has largely stayed on right-leaning networks and dodged an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”