5 Lines From Harris' 'Testy' Fox News Interview

Democratic presidential nominee emphatically states she's not just another Biden
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 17, 2024 12:00 AM CDT
5 Lines From Kamala Harris' Fox News Interview
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event at Washington Crossing Historic Park, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Washington Crossing, Pa.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Kamala Harris sat down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for her first interview on the conservative network Wednesday night, and some words being used to describe their talk include "combative" (NBC News), "contentious" (the Washington Post), "heated" and "testy" (CNN). As NBC puts it, "the two frequently talked over and past each other," and Harris, per CNN, "repeatedly hammered" Donald Trump. Five quotes:

  • Differentiating herself from President Biden: "Let me be very clear—my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency," she said, in what was being described as her most "blunt" and "emphatic" insistence to date that she is not just a repeat of the current president. "I represent a new generation of leadership. I, for example, am someone who has not spent the majority of my career in Washington, DC. I invite ideas, whether it be from the Republicans who are supporting me who were just onstage with me minutes ago, and the business sector and others who can contribute to the decisions I make."

  • On immigration: During what the Post describes as a "testy back-and-forth" during which Harris at one point insisted Baier let her finish answering his question, Harris said, "Bret, let's just get to the point, OK? The point is that we have a broken immigration system that needs to be repaired." She also said she does not "believe in decriminalizing border crossings," and will not do so if elected.
  • On Biden's mental acuity: She declared the president is fit for his job, then pivoted: "Joe Biden is not on the ballot. Trump is."
  • On Trump: "You and I both know that he has talked about turning the American military on the American people. He has talked about going after people who are engaged in peaceful protest. He has talked about locking people up because they disagree with him," Harris said. "This is a democracy. And in a democracy, the president of the United States—in the United States of America—should be willing to be able to handle criticism without saying he would lock people up for doing it."
  • On gender-affirming care: Responding to a question about her support, early in her career, for using taxpayer dollars to fund such care for prison inmates, Harris said of her current stance, "I will follow the law, and it's a law that Donald Trump actually followed. You're probably familiar with, now it's a public report that under Donald Trump's administration, these surgeries were available to on a medical necessity basis, to people in the federal prison system."
(More Election 2024 stories.)

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