Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a tense interview with Fox News where she immediately clashed with host Bret Baier over immigration as he pressed her on the Biden administration’s policies.
The couple repeatedly talked about the issue and the vice president at one point responded, “you have to let me finish.”
The high-stakes interview took place in the battleground state of Pennsylvania just after the vice president held a campaign event there on Wednesday.
It was Harris’ first interview with Fox News since taking office and comes amid pressure for more unscripted appearances and interviews as the election approaches.
Kamala Harris sat down with Fox News for the first time and repeatedly clashed with host Bret Baier over immigration. At one point, the vice president became frustrated and told the host of the Special Report ‘you have to let me finish’ while he interrupted her.
Baier began by asking Harris how many illegal immigrants she estimates have been released into the country during the Biden administration, but their heated interview quickly escalated.
“Well, I’m glad you raised the issue of immigration because I agree with you, it’s a topic of discussion that people want to have, rightfully so,” Harris said.
When Baier interrupted her to press a specific number, their exchange became testy.
‘Bret, let’s get to the point, shall we? The point is that we have a broken immigration system that needs to be fixed,’ Harris said.
Baier interrupted as Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security said six million people have been released in the country.
‘I’m not done. “I’m not done,” Harris said as they began talking to each other.
Baier promised that she was just answering the full question, while the vice president responded that she was just beginning to answer.
Fox News’ Bret Baier began the high-stakes interview with the vice president by asking her about the Biden administration’s immigration policy. Harris avoided answering several questions as she defended the administration and criticized Donald Trump for ruining the border deal.
The veteran Fox News host noted that the Biden administration revoked a number of Trump’s border policies. He asked if he regrets the decision to end the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.
“The first bill practically within hours of being sworn in was a bill to fix our immigration system,” Harris said.
He noted that it was offered to Congress before they worked on infrastructure, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Chips and Science Act and more.
Baier jumped in to name the specific act he was referring to when Harris interrupted: “Can I finish, please?” Can I finish answering please? You have to let me finish.’
The pair continued talking and Harris was heard saying, “I’m in the middle of responding to the point you’re making and I’d like to finish.”
Harris said the issue has been a priority and his focus has been on “solving a problem.” He said they have done several things to address the asylum system, toughen penalties and allocate more resources.
Harris referenced the bipartisan immigration bill, which is legislation she has mentioned numerous times on the campaign trail, and what it would have done. She also referred to being the Attorney General of a border state that prosecutes drug, weapons and human trafficking.
Host Bret Baier, host of Special Report, repeatedly pressed Harris for specific details on immigration. He asked if he regrets ending Trump’s border policies and if the families of those killed by illegal immigrants in the country are owed an apology. Harris said he feels “horrible” about what a mother had gone through after he played a clip of a father.
That’s when they started talking again, and Baier noted that six Democrats voted against the deal while criticizing Trump for telling Republicans to kill the bill.
“In this election, this is rightly a debate that the American people want to have and what they want are solutions,” Harris said forcefully.
The interview took another tense turn at that point when Baier confronted Harris by naming a list of young women who were murdered by illegal immigrants released during the Biden administration.
He called it a specific policy decision by his administration to free men in the country.
—Do you owe those families an apology? Baier asked.
“Let me say, first of all, that those are tragic cases, and I can’t imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced, for a loss that should not have happened,” Harris responded, but avoided answering the question. real question.
He said it’s true that if a border security agreement had been approved nine months ago, it would be nine months with more agents and support at the border.
“This election in 20 days will determine whether we have a president of the United States who truly cares more about solving a problem even if it is not to his political advantage in an election,” the vice president said.
Baier played the sound of one of a victim’s mothers to get the vice president to blame the Biden administration for her daughter’s death.
‘Do you owe them an apology?’ —Baier reiterated.
‘I will tell you that I am very sorry for your loss. “I’m very sorry for your loss, sincerely,” Harris said, but then said they need to talk about what’s happening “right now” and accused Trump of not wanting to “be involved in the solutions.”
When Baeir asked if he wanted to respond, Harris angrily responded, “I told them I feel really bad about what she and her family have experienced.”
The vice president also criticized the failed immigration system that “transcends” the Trump administration when Baier asked her when in her mind the situation at the border had become a crisis.
In another heated exchange, Baier asked Harris why half the country supports Trump when she called him unfit to serve and dangerous.
“This is an election for president of the United States, it’s not supposed to be easy,” Harris said.
When Baier asked if his followers were wrong or stupid, Harris dismissed him.
“I would never say that about the American people,” he responded. He noted that Trump “tends to demean, belittle and belittle the American people” at his rallies. The 59-year-old also mentioned that Trump has talked about the “enemy within.”
Baier played a clip of Trump responding to his Fox News colleague Harris Faulkner asking the former president about it during a town hall meeting Wednesday.
In the clip, Trump denied he was threatening anyone and accused his opponents of using weapons.
‘Bret, I’m sorry and with all due respect, that clip is not what he has been saying about the enemy within and what he has repeated when talking about the American people. “That’s not what you just showed,” Harris replied.
Vice President Harris speaks at a campaign event in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, before her testy interview with Fox News.
“In all fairness and respect to you,” the vice president continued. “You didn’t prove it and this is the conclusion: he has repeated it many times, and you and I know it.”
The interview took place in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, after Harris held a campaign event there Wednesday afternoon while courting Republican voters, as polls show the race is very close in the state.