Former Harris aide says Baier pulled interview questions from 'Trump/Vance press release'
Former top aide to Vice President Harris turned MSNBC host Symone Sanders knocked Fox News anchor Bret Baier over how the journalist handled a high-stakes interview on "Special Report" with the Democratic nominee that aired on the network Wednesday evening.
“On the tone, I have sat in the room for a number of interviews with VP Harris and they have been tough,” Sanders Townsend said in a post on the social platform X. “I’ve never witnessed what I witnessed tonight though. The interviewer wasn’t themselves - instead he was rude, misleading and pulled questions straight out of a proverbial Trump/Vance press release.”
During the at-times contentious back-and-forth between the anchor and vice president, Baier pressed Harris on her policies on immigration, her knowledge of President Biden's mental acuity before he dropped out of the 2024 race and her positions on key foreign policy issues.
"The best part is, VP’s response was simply to match his energy, stick to her why of the interview and not take the bait," Sanders said. "This is what a President would do."
During the Wednesday interview, Harris and Baier clashed for a long time over immigration, with the Fox News anchor starting the interview by asking the vice president the number of immigrants that had crossed the border during her time in her current role. Harris acknowledged immigration was “a topic of discussion that people want to rightly have,” but Baier cut in to point out that it was 6 million immigrants.
Baier also pressed the vice president over the Biden administration’s decision to stop a policy from the Trump era that made potential asylum seekers stay in Mexico to wait for the results of their case in U.S. immigration court.
Harris mentioned that the first proposed piece of legislation President Biden put forward after his inauguration was on immigration, but Baier also noted that the bill didn’t come up for a vote while Democrats held the House and Senate.
“We recognized from day one that — on the point of this being your first question — it is a priority for us as a nation and for the American people, and our focus has been on fixing a problem,” Harris said.
Sanders's criticism was one of many from Harris's allies, some of whom raised issues with Baier's line of questioning — including the clips of statements from former President Trump and Harris Fox played during their conversation — and heaped praise on the vice president for her repeated and forceful condemnation of Trump.
Others praised Baier's performance, applauding his direct follow-ups on key issues like immigration and how she would differ from Biden if elected.
Harris herself at one point during the conversation referred to Baier as "a serious journalist."
The less than 30-minute conversation between Baier and Harris, which was aired in full live, was seen going in as a key moment for both the network and the Democratic nominee.
It was the first formal sit down interview Harris has granted to Fox, the top-watched cable channel that boasts an often controversial but highly-rated slate of conservative commentators.
The interview on Fox comes as Harris is pressuring former President Trump to meet her on a debate stage with less than three weeks until election day, a pitch the former president as repeatedly declined.
Trump participated instead in a town hall event focused on women's issues and the economy that aired earlier on Wednesday with Fox, a network he regularly ridicules but appears on often.
This post was updated at 9:50 p.m. EST.
Date: |
Topics
-
Politics - The Hill
5 takeaways from a contentious Bret Baier, Harris interview
Vice President Harris sat for her toughest interview yet since becoming the Democratic nominee on Wednesday, when she was peppered with questions from Fox News’s Bret Baier. The two sparred ...2 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
Baier: Harris interview will be pre-taped with 'very minimal' editing
Fox News anchor Bret Baier responded Monday to questions surrounding an upcoming interview with Vice President Harris, suggesting that if any editing is required, it will be for "timing" only. ...2 days ago -
Politics - The Hill
Harris' Fox interview a bigger risk for Bret Baier: Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly discusses the state of the race as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump work to energize key voter groups.15 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
Harris, Bret Baier spar over immigration at outset of Fox News interview
Vice President Harris on Wednesday sparred at length with Fox News anchor Bret Baier over immigration in a rare sit-down with the network. Baier opened the interview by asking Harris how many ...4 hours ago -
Business - The New York Times
Harris Came for a Fox News Interview, but Got a Debate With Bret Baier
The vice president’s sit-down with Bret Baier was her most contentious meeting with a journalist since becoming the Democratic nominee.37 minutes ago -
Top stories - NBC News
Harris questions Trump's transparency with voters after she releases her medical report
Harris suggested that Trump was trying to return to the White House without revealing vital details about his health and policy plans that voters need to make an informed choice in the election.3 days ago - Donald Trump -
Entertainment - ABC News
Kamala Harris will sit down with Bret Baier for her first Fox News interview
Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to an interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier2 days ago - Kamala Harris -
Top stories - ABC News
Harris steps out of friendly media confines to do interview with Fox News' Bret Baier
Kamala Harris will sit down with Fox News' Bret Baier Wednesday as she steps out of the comfort of what has so far been a relatively friendly series of interviews.1 hour ago -
World - The Guardian
Harris faces Fox News grilling as Trump stands by false claims about immigrants eating pet – US elections live
Vice-president’s interview with rightwing channel airs just hours after her Pennsylvania rally with senior Republicans. Don’t miss important election coverage. Get our free app and sign up for ...2 hours ago - Donald Trump
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
NH Supreme Court justice indicted over alleged attempts to interfere with investigation into husband
New Hampshire Supreme Court Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi was indicted for allegedly trying to interfere in a criminal investigation into her husband, state officials announced ...1 hour ago -
Politics - The Hill
5 takeaways from a contentious Bret Baier, Harris interview
Vice President Harris sat for her toughest interview yet since becoming the Democratic nominee on Wednesday, when she was peppered with questions from Fox News’s Bret Baier. The two sparred ...2 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
Judge rejects handful of controversial rules, including hand-count rule, from Georgia board
A judge in Georgia tossed out a handful of controversial rules passed in recent months by the GOP-majority Georgia State Election Board, arguing that the board didn’t have the authority to put ...2 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
The year's brightest supermoon is rising this week
Get ready to look up for the year’s biggest and brightest supermoon. And it's pairing up with a comet for a rare stargazing two-for-one.2 hours ago -
Politics - The Hill
Plagiarism expert: Harris book shows 'sloppy writing habits,' not 'wholesale fraud'
Plagiarism expert Jonathan Bailey said Vice President Harris’s 2009 book showed signs of “sloppy writing habits” but pushed back on claims that the Democratic nominee engaged in “wholesale fraud.” ...3 hours ago