Kamala Harris rare interview on Fox News, grilled on Immigration, FLip Flops and more
Kamala Harris has sat down for a contentious interview on Fox News, during which she was grilled about her shifting policy positions and her record on immigration.
The US Vice President, who is now her party’s nominee for the presidency, spoke to Fox News’ senior political anchor Bret Baier today.
It did not take long for the tension to ramp up.
Summary and comments
“Madame Vice President, thank you for your time,” Baier said, before immediately asking about illegal immigration.
“You know, voters tell pollsters all over the country, and here in Pennsylvania, that immigration is one of the key issues that they are looking at, this election, and specifically the influx of illegal immigrants from more than 150 countries.
“How many illegal immigrants would you estimate your administration has released into the country over the last three-and-a-half years?”
“Well, I’m glad you raised the issue of immigration because I agree with you. It is a topic of discussion that people want to rightly have, and you know what I’m going to talk about-” Ms Harris said.
“Just a number. Do you think it’s one million? Three million?” Baier interjected.
“Bret, let’s get to the point, OK?” she shot back.
“The point is we have a broken immigration system that needs to be repaired.”
The anchor again interrupted, seeking a straight answer.
“I’m not finished. I’m not finished,” the Vice President said.
This was a constant refrain throughout the interview, with Baier trying to pin Ms Harris down on the specific point he was asking about, and her protesting.
“May I please finish? May I finish responding please?” she said a few moments after the exchange described above.
“I am in the middle of responding to the point you are raising. I would like to finish.
“We recognised from day one that, from 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. And from day one, we have done a number of things.
“We worked on what was a bipartisan effort, including some of the most conservative members of the United States Congress, to actually strengthen the border. That border bill would have put 1500 more border agents on the border, which is why I believe the border patrol agents supported the bill.
“It would have allowed us to put more resources into prosecuting transnational criminal organisations, which I have done as the former attorney-general of a border state.
“And let me just finish. Donald Trump learnt about that bill, and told them to kill it, because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.
“What the American people want is solutions. And they want a president who is not playing political games with the issue.”
Baier brought up several case studies of Americans who had been harmed by illegal immigrants, most prominently Laken Riley, 22, who is frequently mentioned by Mr Trump at his political rallies.
Ms Riley was killed while jogging at her university in the state Georgia. A Venezuelan who entered the US illegally, Jose Antonio Ibarra, has been charged with her murder.
“Let me just say, first of all: those are tragic cases,” Ms Harris said.
“There is no question about that. And I can’t imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced, for a loss that should not have occurred. That is true.
“It is also true that if a border security (bill) had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents, more support for the folks who are working around the clock to hold it all together.
“This election in 20 days will determine whether we have a president who cares more about fixing a problem, even if it is not to their political advantage.”
Ms Harris was repeatedly pressed to explain, or justify, her flip-flops on policy issues in the years since she sought the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination.
For example, she was vehemently opposed to fracking in 2020, but now favours it. The fact that fracking is a key industry in the equally key swing state Pennsylvania may have a little to do with that.
The cynical, and likely the honest answer on pretty much all of those issues, is readily apparent: back then, in a field of fairly left-wing candidates, she was trying to appeal to the party’s base. Now she’s seeking the votes of Americans in the political centre.
So there is no good response, and she didn’t offer one.
At another point, having quoted former Trump administration officials who now say he is “unfit” for the job and mentally “unstable”, Ms Harris was asked to explain his continuing popularity among millions of Americans.
“If that’s the case, why is half the country supporting him?” asked Baier.
“Why, if he’s as bad as you say, half of this country is now supporting this person, who could be the 47th president of the United States? Why is that happening?”
“This is an election for president of the United States. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s not supposed to be a cakewalk for anybody,” the Vice President replied.
Baier followed up, asking whether the “50 per cent” or so who support Mr Trump were “misguided” or “stupid”.
“Oh, god. I would never say that about the American people,” said Ms Harris.
“And, in fact, if you listen to Donald Trump, if you watch any of his rallies, he’s the one who tends to demean and belittle and diminish the American people. He is the one who talks about an enemy within – talking about the American people, suggesting he would turn the American military on the American people.”
That controversial idea of Mr Trump’s, to use the American military against “radical left” US citizens, has gained attention over the past week.
“We have some sick people, radical left lunatics,” he told Fox Business over the weekend.
“It should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard or if really necessary by the military.”
“He talks about an enemy within,” Ms Harris told Baier.
“An enemy within, talking about the American people, suggesting he would turn the American military on the American people.”
Baier responded by playing a clip of Mr Trump during another Fox News event. Ms Harris protested that it excluded his more incriminating remarks.
“They were saying I was like, threatening. I’m not threatening anybody,” the former president said in the clip Baier showed her.
“They’re the ones doing the threatening. They do phony investigations, I’ve been investigated more than Capone.
“It’s called weaponisation of government. It’s a terrible thing.”
“Bret, I’m sorry, and with all due respect, that clip was not what he has been saying about ‘the enemy within’ that he has repeated when he’s speaking about the American people. That’s not what you just showed,” argued Ms Harris.
“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. He has talked about going after people who are engaged in peaceful protests. He has talked about locking people up because they disagree with him.
“This is a democracy. And in a democracy, the president of the United States, in the United States of America, should be willing to be able to handle criticism without saying he’d lock people up for doing it.”
