Harris, Baier Clash on Immigration in Contentious Fox News Interview
Vice President Kamala Harris faced a heated exchange with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday during an interview focused on immigration, a key issue in the upcoming presidential election, Al Jazeera reports.
The interview, part of Harris’s campaign to attract voters disenchanted with her Republican rival Donald Trump, quickly turned into a clash over the handling of the US-Mexico border.
Baier, known for his conservative leanings, confronted Harris with a Trump campaign ad and a video of a bereaved mother, recounting the death of her child allegedly at the hands of undocumented immigrants. He pressed Harris on the number of undocumented immigrants released into the country during her time in the Biden administration.
Harris countered that immigration has been a long-standing concern, even during Trump’s presidency, and criticized the Trump ad as hypocritical.
“I think, frankly, that ad from the Trump campaign is a little bit of throwing stones when you’re living in a glass house,” she said, adding, “You’ve got to take responsibility for what happened in your administration.”
While acknowledging the tragedy of specific cases highlighted by Baier, Harris emphasized the need for comprehensive immigration reform and blamed Trump for blocking bipartisan legislation in 2023. She also refuted the narrative that her administration would be a continuation of Biden’s, stating that she would bring “fresh and new ideas” and “a new generation of leadership” to the presidency.
The interview highlighted the deep divisions surrounding immigration policy, with Republicans emphasizing border security and Democrats advocating for a more humane approach. While public opinion polls indicate that Trump has a slight edge on this issue, the race remains close overall.
Harris’s campaign has focused on appealing to moderate voters and those Republicans dissatisfied with Trump’s leadership. She has garnered endorsements from prominent Republicans, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, a vocal Trump critic.
The interview’s contentious tone sparked criticism of Baier on social media, with some commentators accusing him of misleading questions and mirroring Trump’s rhetoric.
