Prominent statements from Kamala Harris's confrontation with Fox News
During a sit-down with Fox News' Bret Baier for almost half an hour on a Wednesday, which was her initial interaction with the conservative network, Harris aimed to energize her campaign before Election Day and attract Fox News viewers hesitant about voting for former President Donald Trump. The conversation commenced with a heated discussion on immigration.
The discussion ignited instantaneously as they delved into immigration concerns, with Baier persistently pushing Harris to specify the number of undocumented immigrants set free within the nation. In response, Harris redirected the focus to addressing the broader immigration issue.
BAIER: Your Homeland Security secretary mentioned that 85% of apprehensions...
HARRIS: I’m not sure, but let me complete my thought. Our immigration system calls for repair.
BAIER: The estimation is approximately 6 million individuals released into the country. I assure you, I'll ask the relevant question soon.
HARRIS: I was about to respond.
Harris highlighted the Biden administration's introduction of an immigration bill as its first legislative endeavor in 2021. However, the House and Senate, both under Democratic control at the time, disregarded it.
Harris then shifted her discourse to a recent sympathetic bipartisan campaign for a new immigration law that was thwarted by Trump-inspired opposition in Congress.
Baier further inquired if Harris was prepared to apologize to three individuals, such as Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, who lost their lives at the hands of undocumented immigrants. Harris conveyed her sympathies but declined to offer an apology initially:
However, she added:
Baier played a video of Alexis Nungaray, who unfortunately lost her 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn Nungaray, in Houston. The accused murderers, who hail from Venezuela and were residing in the country illegally, have been brought to justice. Nungaray accounts that her daughter's life was taken due to the suspects' lack of detention at the border.
BAIER: Do you think they deserve an apology is what I'm implying?
HARRIS: I want to express how genuinely sorry I am for her loss, both Hartly and her family. But let's also focus on the structural issues preventing effective border control, and the implications of the refusal of an individual (Trump) to collaborate on solutions.
Baier continued probing immigration, which is significant for numerous voters, particularly the Republican and Republican-leaning ones. He questioned when Harris, who initially declared the border to be secure, acknowledged the problem. She stated that the immigration system and the border had been deteriorating for numerous presidencies.
Baier sought to know why the border agents union favored Trump. Harris replied:
Regardless of her earlier stance on decriminalizing undocumented border crossings during her 2019 Democratic presidential bid, Harris clarified that she no longer supports this practice.
When Baier inquired if this represented a transformation in her perspective, Harris referred to her career as a prosecutor tackling transnational criminal organizations.
Transitioning from immigration, Baier touched upon the divisive topic of gender. He pointed out that Trump supporters have invested amply in advertisements depicting Harris as preferring to facilitate gender reassignment surgery for prisoners in the past.
BAIER: Are you still advocating for using public funds to help prisoners or detained illegal aliens with gender reassignment?
Harris referred to existing federal legislation in place during the Trump administration:
Baier pointed out that Trump didn't support this legislature, and no gender reassignment surgical interventions took place during his tenure.
She's correct. That's the harsh reality for every president. It's a truth that may also apply to her as she defends Biden's economic and immigration records in front of Fox News viewers. Harris dismissed the gender reassignment debates for prisoners as a distraction.
Baier played footage of Harris firmly reiterating that she would not alter anything in Biden's presidency and asked for her vision of a distinct Harris administration.
Harris emphasized her professional background outside of politics and her intent to collaborate with Republican officeholders, with a focus on housing and small businesses.
There was a more extensive discussion on Harris' championing the opportunity for Americans to "turn the page." Baier challenged her claim that she has contributed to this change as she has been a part of the current administration for over three years. She argued that it represented a shift from the era dominated by Trump.
Baier interrupted her to emphasize that a substantial portion of the population, exceeding 70%, believe that the nation is heading in the wrong direction. Isn't the Biden administration partly to blame, Baier asked. Harris pointed to her interaction with Republicans supporting her campaign, asserting that exhaustion was a shared burden between Republicans and Democrats, primarily driven by Trump.
Baier then sought to provoke Harris to cast aspersions on the supporters of Trump. “Are they misguided, these 50%? Are they ignorant? What is the reason?”
This was an allusion to Trump’s recent affirmation that threatening forces from Democrats, whom he calls the "enemy within," are more detrimental than the dangers from China and foreign actors. Baier aired a short video clip depicting Trump downplaying these allegations, but Trump has frequently repeated this remark.
Baier then shifted focus to Harris' recent claims that Trump is unstable, a switch from earlier when Republicans criticized Biden for being unfit for another term.
Baier posed the question, "When did you first observe that President Biden's cognitive abilities seemed to be declining?" This question seemed to surprise Harris, causing her jaw to drop. She then defended Biden, asserting that he possesses the wisdom and experience to make informed decisions. When Baier asked if there were any concerns raised about Biden's abilities, Harris responded,
Harris mentioned that more individuals who worked with Trump in the White House have voiced concerns about him.
Following a brief discussion on foreign policy and keeping Iran in check, the time was running out, and Baier started wrapping up.
"Madam Vice President, they're putting a lot of pressure on me to wrap this up," he said, adding, "I hope you managed to express your thoughts about Donald Trump, as there are numerous issues that ... "
This was essentially the end of the interview.
In response to Baier's question about apologizing to families affected by undocumented immigrants, Harris mentioned the need to focus on systemic issues and the refusal of certain individuals to collaborate on solutions.
During the conversation, Harris highlighted the attempt for a bipartisan immigration law that was hindered by opposition, emphasizing the importance of addressing the broader immigration issue rather than focusing on specific numbers.
