Bret Baier was on fire last night with those questions for Kamala Harris.
Bret Baier indicated that he had prepared 75 questions for Kamala Harris, yet he managed to pose only about eight. This situation arises when one engages a meticulously managed public figure who arrives 15 minutes late for a scheduled five o'clock interview and subsequently evades, postpones, and misleads throughout a 26-minute discussion.
What remains absent, however, is satisfactory responses to pertinent inquiries. Baier, commendably, posed several insightful questions. In this regard, he challenged skeptics, myself included, who anticipated a lackluster performance characterized by the soft questions she typically receives from mainstream media. One particularly challenging question pertained to a Donald Trump campaign advertisement featuring Harris endorsing taxpayer-funded sex-change procedures for undocumented immigrants, even those incarcerated. Baier played the footage, and there she was.
"Are you still in support of using taxpayer dollars to help prison inmates or detailed illegal aliens to transition to another gender?"
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 16, 2024
HARRIS: "I will follow the law." pic.twitter.com/O9GnJM8aDb
Harris's response to Baier's inquiry was, "I will adhere to the law," after which she elaborated further.
Donald Trump adhered to a specific law during his administration. It is now publicly known that under his leadership, certain surgeries were provided on a medically necessary basis to individuals within the federal prison system. Therefore, the advertisement from the Trump campaign seems somewhat hypocritical, akin to casting stones while residing in a fragile environment.
The discourse presented is rather convoluted, yet it is important to clarify that there is no recollection of former President Trump endorsing any such controversial policies. Baier highlighted this point, stating that Trump’s aides have consistently maintained that he did not support the prison policy in question, nor did any gender transition surgeries take place during his time in office. This assertion raises questions about the accountability of political figures regarding their administration's actions and policies.
In response to Baier's inquiries, Harris retorted sharply, emphasizing the necessity for leaders to accept responsibility for the outcomes of their administration. This remark suggests a potential opportunity for Trump to reconsider his messaging strategy, particularly in light of the challenges faced by the current administration. Baier, undeterred, returned to the pivotal question regarding the use of taxpayer funds for gender reassignment surgeries, to which Harris reiterated her stance, indicating her commitment to adhere to existing laws. This exchange underscores the complexities and sensitivities surrounding discussions of policy and accountability in contemporary political discourse.
If your expectations included the phrase "I was raised in a middle-class household," you likely left feeling let down. It seems that her team may have recognized the growing trend of satire surrounding that statement, even from platforms like Saturday Night Live. However, if you were anticipating a discussion on "transnational criminal organizations," you would have found your expectations met with a resounding bingo.
Baier rigorously addressed the issue of border security, a topic that resonates deeply with voters, alongside concerns about the economy and abortion. He initiated the conversation by stating, "You’ve said repeatedly that the border was secure," and then inquired about the moment she perceived it had escalated into a crisis. In response, she attributed the ongoing challenges to a long-standing broken immigration system, which she claimed predates Donald Trump’s administration. Nevertheless, her reply failed to directly address Baier's inquiry. Furthermore, Harris clarified her stance against the decriminalization of illegal border crossings. When Baier highlighted that her running mate, Tim Walz, has transformed Minnesota into a sanctuary state with numerous benefits for undocumented immigrants, she asserted, "We are very clear, and I am very clear, as is Tim Walz, that we must support and enforce federal law, and that is exactly what we will do."
When Baier suggested that Harris's positions had undergone "evolutions," she responded defensively, asserting, “Let’s be very clear. I’m the only candidate for president who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa and Guadalajara cartels.”
Harris's most impactful moment occurred when she distanced herself from her past. In response to Baier's inquiry about how her approach would differ from Joe Biden's, she stated, “Let me be very clear: My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency. I will bring my life experiences, professional experiences, and fresh ideas, as every new president does.”
However, this was as close as she came to a defining moment, yet it still lacked substance. Baier continued to challenge her, referencing a recent Marquette Law School poll revealing that 79% of Americans feel the country is on the wrong track. Baier pointed out that this sentiment reflects the last three and a half years of her tenure as vice president and Biden's presidency, questioning why voters feel this way if she claims to be moving forward after such a period in office.
Harris astonishingly replied, “And Donald Trump has been running for office since…” At this moment, her anxiety became evident as she began to perspire. She then embarked on a disjointed tirade about Trump being “unstable” and “dangerous,” but Baier redirected the focus back to her, asking, “You have stated in various interviews that Joe Biden was performing exceptionally well; when did you first observe a decline in his mental acuity?” This prompted an extended silence, after which a visibly uncomfortable Harris stated, “I have observed Joe Biden in various settings, from the Oval Office to the Situation Room. He possesses the judgment and experience necessary to make critical decisions for the American people. Bret, Joe Biden is not on the ballot. Donald Trump is.” As the interview neared its conclusion, while Harris struggled to answer a question regarding Iran, Baier glanced to his right and nodded anxiously, signaling to his team to conclude the discussion. Unfortunately for Harris, the damage to her credibility had already been inflicted.
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