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Jimmy Williams
In her first formal sit-down interview with Fox News, Vice President Kamala Harris faced tough questions from anchor Bret Baier on Tuesday night, particularly on immigration and her shifting positions from her 2019 presidential run. The intense 30-minute interview marked a key moment as Harris looks to reach out to moderate Republicans and define her own presidency.
Harris addressed a question that had tripped her up in previous interviews: how her presidency would differ from President Joe Biden’s. “My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” she responded confidently. “I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh and new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.”
The interview comes after Harris received endorsements from over 100 Republicans earlier in the day, including some former Trump administration officials, signaling her outreach to moderate conservatives.
Harris Hits Back at Trump’s “Enemy Within” Rhetoric
A significant portion of the interview focused on recent remarks from former President Donald Trump, who described Democrats as “the enemy within” and suggested using the military against domestic adversaries. While Baier played a clip of Trump insisting he wasn’t threatening anyone, Harris didn’t hold back, criticizing Trump for his increasingly aggressive rhetoric.
“With all due respect, that clip was not what he has been saying about the enemy within,” Harris said, raising her voice. She accused Trump of proposing to turn the military on Americans and imprisoning those who disagree with him. “This is a democracy,” she said, “and in a democracy, the President of the United States should be able to handle criticism without saying he would lock people up for doing it.”
Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly pounced on the interview, calling Harris’s performance a “train wreck” and accusing her of being “angry and defensive.”
In contrast, Harris’s campaign hailed the interview as a success. “She was able to reach an audience that’s probably been not exposed to the arguments she’s been making on the trail,” said campaign aide Brian Fallon. “And she also got to show her toughness in standing tall against a hostile interviewer.”
Immigration and Gender Transition Surgery for Prisoners
Baier pressed Harris on immigration, specifically regarding her role in the Biden administration and its handling of the southern border. Harris shifted the blame to Trump, saying that a bipartisan border security bill was derailed after Trump intervened. She expressed sympathy for families affected by crimes committed by undocumented immigrants but stood firm in not accepting blame.
On the controversial topic of federal funding for gender transition surgeries for prisoners or detained migrants—an issue Trump has highlighted in attack ads—Harris was clear. She said she would follow federal law but pointed out that Trump’s administration had also followed the same law, noting that the issue was far less relevant than other pressing matters facing voters.
“He spent $20 million on those ads trying to create a sense of fear in the voters,” Harris said, calling the issue of gender transition surgeries “remote” compared to the broader concerns of the American people.
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, Harris’s appearance on Fox News represents a calculated move to reach out to more moderate and conservative voters, showcasing both her policy stances and her willingness to push back on Trump’s rhetoric.
