Fox News Host Fact-Checks Trump Over Criticism of Kamala Harris

In a recent televised interview, former President Donald Trump was fact-checked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham while he attempted to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for her handling of the federal response to Hurricane Helene. The exchange took place on Saturday during Ingraham’s show, “The Ingraham Angle.”

Trump accused Harris of prioritizing fundraising activities over addressing the aftermath of the hurricane in North Carolina. He stated, “She shouldn’t be at fundraisers. She’s at fundraisers, and her teleprompter went off, and she didn’t do well with the teleprompter off.” Trump added, “It happens to me a lot. When the teleprompter goes off, you have to be able to do it. She didn’t get through it. But she shouldn’t be there anyway. She should be—I would say that North Carolina is bad, is so bad.”

Laura Ingraham interjected during Trump’s remarks to clarify, “She was there today for three hours, I believe,” before changing the subject to whether Trump’s comments were politicizing the storm, to which he denied.

Contrary to Trump’s claims, Harris was indeed present in North Carolina on the day in question, actively participating in the federal government’s emergency management response to the hurricane. Meanwhile, Trump had been in Georgia, not holding an official role in the federal emergency efforts, due to his status as a private citizen. Newsweek has reached out to both Trump’s campaign and Vice President Harris for comments but did not immediately receive any response.

The former president has come under scrutiny for his remarks concerning the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Critics argue that his statements undermine the work of local officials, the Biden administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), suggesting Trump is attempting to leverage the situation for political gain.

Laura Ingraham’s fact-checking is notable given her close alignment with Trump and the Republican Party. Traditionally, the former president, his campaign, and supporters within the MAGA movement have opposed live fact-checking during media interviews.

Earlier this month, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, expressed discontent on X (formerly known as Twitter), mentioning that a proposed “60 Minutes” interview was declined partly due to the program’s insistence on conducting live fact-checking. The statement highlighted ongoing tensions between Trump’s campaign and media outlets that adhere to stringent fact-checking protocols.

The issue of media moderation and fact-checking was also a point of contention in the recent presidential debate when moderators challenged Trump over certain statements about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, and his false assertions regarding the 2020 presidential election.