Kamala Harris ' interview with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier on Wednesday is the latest indication that Democrats during this campaign are increasingly willing to engage with a network well-stocked with supporters of opponent Donald Trump.
Since the party’s convention in August, roughly twice as many Democrats have been on Fox than during the same period in President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, which itself was more often than when Hillary Clinton was the nominee in 2016, according to the network.
Whether to ignore Fox or seize opportunities to change the viewpoints of some audience members has long been a subject of internal debate among Democrats. Biden didn’t make a Fox-specific appearance during his campaign. Clinton made one appearance during her primary campaign and another in mid-summer 2016.
“The vice president, Governor Walz and our campaign believe it is important to speak to all Americans, wherever they are getting their information or entertainment, so they can hear directly from us — not through a filter — who Vice President Harris is, what she stands for and what she’s running to do,” said Ian Sams, Harris campaign spokesman.
Trump grumbled on his social media feed this week about Sams, who was interviewed Wednesday on Fox by Dana Perino, Tuesday by Martha MacCallum and Monday by Neil Cavuto. Trump said Sams “virtually owns the network.”
“It’s not worthwhile doing interviews on Fox because it all just averages out into NOTHING,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Fox News has totally lost its way.”
Trump on Wednesday appeared on Fox, hours before Harris, in a pre-taped town hall meeting featuring female voters and hosted by Harris Faulkner.
Baier’s interview with Harris was combative, starting with a discussion on immigration and touching on the economy, the Biden administration and polls showing Americans think the nation is on the wrong track. At times they seemed to be talking past each other.