Vice President Kamala Harris has come under fire after using a strongly confrontational tone during her recent interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. Critics were quick to note that Harris’ tone stood in stark contrast to the cheerful image her campaign has been promoting.
“[T]hroughout the campaign so far, the public seen never seen Harris get mad—in fact, she’s full of joy,” journalist Kara Alaimo wrote in September of 2024. “Her campaign is playfully tapping into the latest social media trends and memes. And rather than complaining and insulting people like Donald Trump, she’s laughing and smiling on the campaign trail.”
Despite claims from the media that Harris was maintaining a cheerful image, Harris appeared frustrated and defensive throughout the course of the interview.
The interview was Harris’ first time facing challenging follow-up questions across the entirety of her campaign thus far.
Baier even apologized for the tense back-and-forth, but a senior advisor to Harris’ campaign described the interview as an “ambush.”
“We are speaking over each other,” Baier said during the interview. “I apologize.”
“Kamala Harris (strong) handled an ambush Fox interview light years better than the hash Donald Trump (unstable) made of the Fox pep rally disguised as a town hall,” senior advisor David Plouffe wrote online.
Plouffe was strongly criticized by X users for labeling the interview in the way he did.
“Ambush?? That was just a regular interview. You’re used to CBS and 60 minutes editing her screw ups and ABC News feeding her questions,” conservative activist Laura Loomer wrote. “Sorry your candidate has a lower IQ than those who are medically diagnosed as mentally handicapped.”
“I’m sure she’ll handle high stakes negotiations with Vladimir Putin just as effectively,” another user wrote.
