WASHINGTON — In a combative interview with Fox News, Kamala Harris he said in the harshest words to date that if he wins the election, he will go for an independent presidency, where there will be no repeat of the president. Joe Biden‘s position for about four years.
“My presidency is not going to be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” Harris told Fox News host Bret Baier. “Like every incoming president, I will bring my life experiences and professional experiences to work.” “I represent the new generation of leadership.”
Harris faced criticism for a recent interview with ABC’s “The View,” in which she failed to identify policy differences with Biden from when she was his vice president.
Given Biden’s unpopularity in opinion polls, Harris’ response prompted criticism that his presidency would simply be an extension of Biden’s. NBC News reported that Harris’ campaign is looking for a chance for him to put more space between the two. On Tuesday, Biden gave him his blessing as he said he would “cut his own path” as president.
Harris took the rare step of appearing on a conservative network, appealing to Republican and independent voters who typically don’t tune in to more mainstream news sources. In a close-to-call race with Republican Donald Trump, Harris wants to appeal to voters who aren’t part of the Democratic coalition but aren’t sold on another four years of Trump.
The interview was perhaps the most controversial of Harris’ campaign: both he and Bayer had something to prove. Conservative Fox News viewers wanted a tough interview, and Harris needed to appear strong and show the level of authority Americans expect from a commander-in-chief.
The two frequently sparred as Baier tried to press him on issues including the border, the economy and any doubts about Biden’s fitness for office.
Harris stood her ground and insisted that she be allowed to finish her sentences, while Baier pressed her for short, clear answers that would allow her to take up as much space as possible.
“I’m in the middle of answering the issue you raised and I’d like to finish,” Harris said in response to one of his immigration questions.
Brian Fallon, Harris’ campaign communications director, praised her handling of the interview.
“I think there are a lot of independents and Haley-type Republicans who are very open to voting for VP Harris, and that’s why we’re open to events with Republicans and on Fox News,” Fallon told reporters traveling with him. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
“We feel like we definitely accomplished what we set out to do in the sense that he was able to reach an audience that probably wasn’t exposed to the arguments he made along the way, and he also has to show his toughness. standing up to the enemy interviewer,” he said.
Harris was nominated after Biden dropped out of the race amid sluggish poll numbers and concerns among Democrats that, at 81, he was showing signs of weakness that would make him unelectable.
Biden’s vulnerability has been an issue for years, but came back into focus after his dismal debate performance against Trump in June.
Baier pressed Harris on whether he saw Biden declining.
He said Biden was ready for the job and was quick to target Trump, casting him as someone incapable of meeting the demands of the presidency.
“Joe Biden is not on the ballot,” he said. “It’s Trump.”
He cited former senior officials who said Trump was unfit to serve as president. “I think the American people have concerns about Donald Trump.
Baier tried to get answers on the central issue of Trump’s campaign: border security. He mentioned the crimes committed by illegal immigrants under the control of the Biden-Harris administration.
While he sympathizes with the victims and acknowledges that the immigration system is broken, Harris said Congress’ bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening border security has been derailed by Trump’s influence with GOP lawmakers.
He also blamed Congress for failing to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that Biden announced on his first day in office in 2021, which aims to both crack down on illegal immigration and offer a path to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States. illegal country.
Polls show voters see Harris as an agent of change.
“You’ve been vice president for 3½ years,” Baier said, “What do you turn the page on?”
Harris mentioned Trump, who has either run for president or has been in office continuously since 2015.
He said he wants to put behind us a decade where we were burned by the kind of rhetoric that Donald Trump used to “divide our country and make Americans point fingers at each other.”
If Trump is so flawed, why do so many Americans support his candidacy? Bayer asked. Does he believe voters are stupid?
“I never said that,” Harris said. Turning to Trump, he said: “He has a penchant for belittling and belittling the American people.
He recalled Trump’s repeated references to an “enemy within” hiding in the United States and expressed concern that he would use the U.S. military to combat such nebulous threats.