Kamala Harris Engages in Contentious Fox News Interview; Trump Reacts

Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Kamala Harris participated in a combative interview on Fox News, clashing with host Bret Baier on topics including transgender prisoners, illegal immigration, and President Joe Biden‘s mental fitness. This marked Harris’s first appearance on the conservative network since becoming the Democratic nominee, with less than three weeks remaining until polling day.

During the 25-minute interview that aired on Fox News’ Special Report, both Harris and Baier engaged in frequent interruptions. Harris, at one point, asserted, “I’m in the middle of responding to the point you’re raising and I’d like to finish.” The discussion touched on Harris’s 2019 stance on decriminalizing border crossings, a position she has been accused of reversing. Harris stated, “I do not believe in decriminalizing border crossings and I have not done that as vice-president, and I would not do that as president.” She proceeded to criticize former President Donald Trump for influencing Congressional Republicans to oppose a border deal earlier this year, asserting he preferred “to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.”

The interview delved into sensitive subjects such as taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery for prisoners. Harris, who in the past has expressed support for such policies, remarked, “I will follow the law” when questioned if she would endorse taxpayer dollars for these surgeries as president. She noted that no transgender surgeries took place in federal prison during Trump’s presidency, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to BBC Verify, which reported the first operations occurring in 2022 and 2023.

Furthermore, Harris sought to differentiate her potential presidency from the Biden administration, saying, “Let me be very clear, my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” without further elaboration. Baier challenged Harris on this statement, given her tenure as vice-president. Harris redirected the conversation towards criticizing Trump.

The interview also addressed questions about Biden’s mental acuity. Harris responded, “Joe Biden, I have watched in from the Oval Office to the Situation Room, and he has the judgment… and experience to do exactly what he has done in making very important decisions on behalf of the American people.”

Outside the studio, former President Donald Trump quickly reacted to the interview on social media platform X, praising Baier and criticizing Harris. “She has a massive and irredeemable case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME,” wrote Trump, further labelling Harris as “the WORST Vice President in history.”

Baier later shared his experience from the interview, admitting challenges in steering the conversation. “I could tell right from the start that redirecting her would be challenging without cutting in,” said Baier, comparing his interaction with Harris to a past interview with Trump.