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Harris beats Trump and holds her own in a charged Fox interview


By comparison, Trump canceled a scheduled interview with CNBC and declined to follow Harris’ lead and continue with “60 Minutes.”

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Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris took to America’s Den of Misinformation – Fox News – for an interview on Wednesday evening that showed two things:

  1. She has much more courage than her opponent, Donald Trump.
  2. Fox News remains an arm of the Republican Party.

For starters, Harris deserves credit for giving an interview that she and her campaign had to know would be a series of “gotcha” questions and attempts to get her to say mean things about Trump supporters, a la Hillary Clinton’s infamous , but precise ‘basket’. of deplorables.”

By comparison, Trump canceled a scheduled CNBC interview and declined to follow Harris’ lead and continue on “60 Minutes,” preferring things like Wednesday’s Fox News town hall where he was asked coddled questions asked in a room full of Trump supporters. .

Fox News host Bret Baier continually interrupted Kamala Harris during an interview

So the points go to Harris in the bravery department, while Trump maintains his “weak man pretending to be tough” image.

Fox News host Bret Baier was the chosen questioner for Harris’ interview, and he acted very much like a man with little respect for what a powerful woman has to say. His questions were pointed, which is fine, and he relentlessly asked follow-up questions, which is also fine. But Baier barely let the sitting vice president get a word in as he spent the entire interview talking over her and interrupting her again and again.

Baier went after Harris with a tenacity and ferocity his network has never used around Trump.

Trump fans and his many minions at Fox News will no doubt say that Harris has failed miserably, but the truth is, for people operating outside the bubble of madness, she more than held her own in a hugely hostile situation.

Harris called out Fox News’ disingenuous Trump segment

At one point, Baier showed a clip — ironically from an earlier softball Fox News interview with Trump — in which the former president tried to downplay his recent unhinged talk about how Americans who don’t support him are “the enemy within.”

Harris quickly called out Baier: “I’m sorry and, with all due respect, that excerpt was not what he said about the enemy within, which he repeated when talking about the American people. That’s not what you just showed.”

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Would Fox ever ask Trump these kinds of questions? Of course not.

During her response to the first question of the interview, Baier interrupted Harris six times and continuously talked over her.

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The questions were rightfully tough, and the vice president definitely dodged some of the Biden administration’s tougher statements about immigration policy. But what the interview showed is that Harris can more than hold her own in an immensely hostile environment, something most people already knew, but Fox News viewers willing to be honest with themselves were probably surprised to to see.

The important thing, though, is that Harris sat there and took it. She went to a Fox News interview — which in itself is a sign that her campaign is confident and wants to expand its reach to conservative and independent voters — and she didn’t storm out. She didn’t complain about the interviewer or insult him for asking tough questions.

That’s a lot more than anyone can say about Donald Trump.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on X, formerly Twitter, @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk