Vice President Kamala Harris’ Fox News Interview: A Closer Examination
In a different scenario, Vice President Kamala Harris’ debut interview on Fox News might have been hosted by Chris Wallace, a seasoned journalist with years of experience at ABC, NBC, and CBS News before his long tenure at Fox. During the 2020 election debates, Wallace was one of the rare moderators who managed to handle former President Donald Trump effectively. As he once noted to Trump, “I think the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions.” Wallace’s departure from Fox in late 2021 stemmed from his discomfort with the network’s debates over election results and the nature of the January 6 events, as he relayed to the New York Times.
Presently, Bret Baier, Fox News’ chief political anchor, stands in the role that might have belonged to Wallace. With no more presidential debates slated before the upcoming November election, Baier is poised to demonstrate his journalistic capacity as he engages with a coherent presidential candidate. Vice President Harris agreed to a pre-recorded discussion with Baier, which was broadcast on Wednesday’s “Special Report.” Viewers were assured that the segment aired without edits.
A Polite Beginning
The conversation opened cordially, with Harris flattering Baier’s reputation by mentioning, “I know you investigate, and you are a serious journalist.” However, the subsequent dialogue portrayed a different picture, reflecting the challenging nature of the exchange. Baier’s initial question set the tone with a rather clumsy informal test: “How many illegal immigrants would you estimate your administration has released in the last three and a half years? Just a number. Do you think it’s one million? Three million?” Harris attempted to respond, yet Baier repeatedly interrupted her. She remarked, “I was beginning to answer you,” following his assurance that he would present a more refined version of the question already posed.
Contentious Exchanges
Baier’s line of questioning further complicated matters by urging Harris to confirm if taxpayer dollars would continue to support gender transition for prison inmates and detained illegal aliens. Furthermore, he attempted to provoke Harris into apologizing to mothers of women murdered by undocumented migrants and sought her to criticize Trump supporters.
The conversation intensified when Harris referenced Trump’s numerous allusions to “enemies from within” and his intentions to use military force against dissenters. Baier, seemingly prepared, showed a clip from a Fox town hall which omitted Trump’s explicit references. Harris called out the inaccuracy, stating, “Bret, I’m sorry and with all due respect, that clip was not what he has been saying about ‘the enemy within’… That’s not what you just showed.” Baier maintained the footage reflected Trump’s response to related inquiries, yet Harris effectively countered, “You didn’t show that, and here’s the bottom line: He has repeated it many times, and you and I both know that. And you and I both know that he has talked about turning the American military on the American people.”
Fact-Checking and Perspectives
Baier is surely aware of Trump’s rhetoric, as Trump has reiterated the phrase on Maria Bartiromo’s show and at a recent rally in Aurora, Colorado. Baier himself discussed Trump’s language on his October 15 program. Yet, he likely understands that the average Fox viewer is unlikely to verify these facts, especially if doing so might align them with liberal viewpoints.
The interview was highly publicized, essentially replacing the need for additional debates. While presidential candidates typically engage in multiple debates, Trump has declined further encounters with Harris and eschewed interviews with outlets like “60 Minutes” and CNBC. Instead, he favors platforms less likely to challenge him, such as a Georgia town hall moderated by Harris Faulkner, attended by a largely supportive audience.
The Role of Media Tours
Alongside these developments, Harris is conducting her own series of media interviews, including an appearance on “60 Minutes.” Her campaign possibly saw the interview with Baier as a chance to showcase her resilience under difficult questioning. While Harris’ team may have had various objectives, Wednesday’s broadcast was arguably not about her. It seemed designed to establish Baier’s image as a serious journalist amid significant skepticism.
Fox’s own internal communications, unveiled during the Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit, revealed that after the network initially called Arizona for Biden in 2020, Baier suggested retracting the decision due to fears of backlash from the Trump campaign and its supporters. The New York Times reported Baier’s suggestion: “The sooner we pull it even if it gives us major egg. And put it back in his column. The better we are. In my opinion.” Although Fox did not rescind the call, it did dismiss political director Chris Stirewalt and managing editor Bill Sammon, whose work helped solidify Fox’s election night authority.
Strategic Framing
Baier’s inclination towards Fox News’ right-wing narratives influenced his questions and the content supporting them. To introduce failures in Biden’s border policy, Baier showcased a clip of Alexis Nungaray, who testified in a September House Judiciary Committee hearing. Democrats branded the hearing as an election-season ploy, pointing to a lack of subsequent legislative action. Such strategic presentation prompted Baier to ask Harris, “So do you owe them an apology, is what I’m saying?” This tactic, under the guise of inquiry, borders on manipulation rather than genuine journalistic pressure.
Further into the exchange, Baier asked Harris her thoughts on why 50% of the population supports Trump, suggesting, “So are they misguided, the 50%? Are they stupid?” This mode of questioning seems designed more for provocation than substantive discussion.
Reception and Scrutiny
Inside Fox News, Baier’s confrontational approach earned praise from colleagues Dana Perino, Martha MacCallum, and Harold Ford Jr., following the interview. Each praised Baier’s handling of the interview, notwithstanding interruptions to Harris’ responses.
External reviews were less favorable. Former Fox host Gretchen Carlson critiqued Baier’s performance, suggesting that it fell short of standard journalistic oversight. Even rivals at other networks found amusement in Fox’s selective editing of Trump footage, with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes highlighting the irony of its attempts to shield Trump from criticism.
Hayes’ broadcast included the full context of Trump’s remarks, which Baier had edited to avoid highlighting Trump’s controversial statements. The larger issue, as Hayes noted, was Fox’s failure to confront Trump’s rhetoric head-on.
Conclusion
The political landscape now sees such staged media appearances as substitutes for what used to be substantive debates. Baier’s session with Harris catered to a specific audience, evidently careful not to upset Trump supporters. The focus remained on cultural clash rather than critical policy questions affecting Americans. For instance, there were no inquiries on Harris’ plans to address housing shortages, the cost of living, or healthcare expansions. A lone question on the economy asked Harris to explain public trust in Trump over her, a query more psychological than practical.
Baier’s gambit fell short of the journalistic rigor required to hold political figures accountable. With Harris reiterating her desire for fact-based conversations, the interaction highlighted a missed opportunity for meaningful dialogue. As Harris stated, “I would like that we would have a conversation that is grounded in a full assessment of the facts… I think this interview is supposed to be about the choices that your viewers should be presented about this election and the contrast is important.”
In summary, Harris kept her end by participating, but Baier did not utilize this opportunity to its full potential, leaving some speculating about the standards of journalism in today’s media landscape. Meanwhile, Wallace, now hosting at CNN, faces comparisons against a journalistic benchmark that some argue his former Fox colleagues have yet to surpass.