WASHINGTON — In a combative interview with Fox News, Kamala Harris said in the most emphatic terms yet that if she wins the election, she would pursue an independent presidency that would not be a repeat of President Joe Biden’s nearly four years in office was. .
“My presidency would not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” Harris told interviewer Bret Baier, a Fox News host. “And like any new president who comes to power, I will bring my life experiences and professional experiences” to my work. “I represent a new generation of leadership.”
Harris was criticized for her recent interview on ABC’s “The View,” in which she failed to identify any policy differences she has had with Biden since she has been his vice president.
Given Biden’s unpopularity in polls, Harris’ response drew criticism that her term as president would merely be a follow-up to Biden. NBC News reported that Harris’ campaign was looking for an opportunity for her to create more space between the two of them. On Tuesday, Biden appeared to give her his blessing for that, saying she would “take her own path” as president.
Harris took the rare step of appearing on the conservative network in hopes of appealing to Republican and independent voters who typically don’t tune into more mainstream news sources. In a race with Republican Donald Trump that is too close to call, Harris wants to make a case to voters who are not part of the Democratic coalition but who are not sold on another four years of Trump.
The interview was possibly the most controversial of Harris’ campaign: both she and Baier had something to prove. Fox News’ conservative viewers wanted to see a powerful interview, while Harris had to look strong and demonstrate the level of authority Americans expect from a commander in chief.
The two often talked over and past each other, as Baier tried to pin her down on issues like the border, the economy and any doubts she might have about Biden’s fitness for office.
Harris stood his ground and insisted that she be allowed to finish her sentences, while Baier insisted on short, clear answers that would allow him to get the most out of her.
“I’m in the process of responding to the point you’re making, and I’d like to conclude,” Harris said as she deflected one of his questions about immigration.
Brian Fallon, Harris’ campaign communications director, praised her handling of the interview.
“I think there are a lot of independents and Haley-style Republicans who are very open to voting for VP Harris, and that’s why we’re open to events with the Republicans and on Fox News, Fallon told reporters traveling with her. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
“We feel like we’ve definitely achieved what we set out to achieve, in the sense that she’s been able to reach an audience that probably hasn’t been exposed to the arguments she’s made along the way, and she’s also been able to show her strength . by standing tall in front of a hostile interviewer,” he said.
Harris became the nominee after Biden withdrew from the race due to slow polling and concerns among Democrats that at age 81 he was showing signs of weakness that made him unelectable.
Biden’s weaknesses have been a problem for years but drew renewed attention after a dismal debate against Trump in June.
Baier asked Harris if she had noticed that Biden had gotten smaller.
She responded by saying Biden did his job well and quickly turned to Trump, portraying him as the one who cannot meet the demands of the presidency.
“Joe Biden is not on the ballot,” she said. “Trump does.”
She quoted former senior Trump officials as saying he is unfit to serve as president. “I think the American people are concerned about Donald Trump,” she said.
Baier tried to get answers about what Trump has tried to make the overriding campaign issue: border security. He cited crimes committed by illegal immigrants under the watch of the Biden-Harris administration.
While expressing condolences for the victims and admitting that the immigration system is broken, Harris said Congress had crafted a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening border security that Trump derailed through his influence over Republican lawmakers.
She also accused Congress of failing to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that Biden announced on the first day of his presidency in 2021 that would aim to both curb illegal immigration and provide a path towards citizenship for the millions of people living in the US. country illegally.
Polls show voters see Harris as an agent of change.
“You’ve been vice president for three and a half years,” Baier said. “Why are you turning the page?”
Harris mentioned Trump, who has run for president or has steadily held the position since 2015.
She said she wanted to move past “the decade in which we have been burned by the kind of rhetoric that Donald Trump” has used to “divide our country and have Americans literally pointing fingers at each other.”
If Trump is so flawed, why do so many Americans support his candidacy? Baier asked. Does she believe voters are stupid?
“I never said that,” Harris said. Returning to Trump, she said: “He is the one who tends to demean and belittle the American people.”
She cited Trump’s repeated mention of “the enemy within” lurking in the US and expressed concern that he would use the US military to counter such vague threats.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
