Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump tried to appeal to voters outside their natural bases of support in a series of interviews Wednesday, a reflection of how close the presidential race is less than three weeks before Election Day.
In the most combative interview since Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, she discussed border policy, taxpayer-funded benefits for transgender prisoners and President Biden with Fox News' Bret Baier on his “Special Report” show.
Harris, who has been repeatedly asked where she disagreed with Biden during her tenure, has struggled to set examples without being disrespectful to the man who chose her as his running mate. She offered her clearest answer on the matter during the interview.
“Let me be very clear, my presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency and, like every new president who takes office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences and new, fresh ideas,” Harris said. “I represent a new generation of leadership. I, for example, am someone who has not spent most of my career in Washington, DC.”
Trump sought to appeal to Latinos and women during his appearances on Univision and Fox News.
During a town hall in front of an all-women audience in Georgia, the former president was asked about her defense of the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that struck down the federal right to abortion and its impact on reproductive services like in vitro fertilization.
After falsely claiming that there was broad agreement among jurists about returning abortion rights to the states, Trump declared himself “the father of IVF.”
Trump said he learned from Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), whom he described as “just an incredibly attractive person,” about the impacts of fertility treatments.
“And in about two minutes I understood it. I said, 'No, no, we're all for IVF,'” Trump said, adding that he made a powerful statement and the entire Republican Party came out strongly in favor of access to fertility treatments. “We want fertilization.”
The presidential candidates' appearances in front of disparate audiences reflect how close the presidential race is and how both are trying to increase their support among groups that are traditionally less likely to support them.
Harris's half-hour interview with Baier, her first formal meeting with the cable channel, took place amid a media blitz from the Democratic nominee and was testy at times. Fox News' top political host frequently interrupted Harris while answering her questions and often referred to her as “ma'am” instead of “vice president.”
But Harris ran into trouble when pressed on positions she had previously taken on issues such as allowing undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses, free college tuition and free health care.
“Listen, that was five years ago and I am very clear that I will follow the law,” he said. “I have made that statement time and time again, and as vice president of the United States, that is exactly what I have done.”
When asked about her previously expressed support for using taxpayer money to fund gender transition care for inmates, Harris argued that a similar policy existed under Trump. He accused Trump of creating fear with ads on the issue.
The Trump campaign described Harris' appearance on Fox as a victory for the Republican.
“Kamala Harris' interview with Bret Baier was a TRAIN WASH. “Kamala was angry, defensive and once again abdicated any responsibility for the problems Americans face,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “I couldn't give a direct answer to a single question because it has no answers.”
Harris attempted to raise several questions about Trump's fitness for office, repeating her increasingly frequent characterizations of him as unfit and unstable.
Donald Trump speaks during a Univision town hall on Wednesday in Doral, Florida.
(Alex Brandon / Associated Press)
“The American people are worried about Donald Trump, which is why the people who know him best, including the leaders of our national security community, have spoken out… and said he is unfit and dangerous and should never be to be president of the United States again, including his former vice president,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Harris spoke at Washington Crossing Historical Park in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia that will be key in determining who wins the battleground state. It is the site where George Washington historically crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve 1776 along with 2,000 soldiers en route to a major victory at Trenton, New Jersey, during the American Revolution.
Under a red banner that read “Country Over Party,” Harris appeared alongside several Republicans, including former Reps. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Barbara Comstock and Denver Riggleman of Virginia, Jim Greenwood of Pennsylvania and former Trump administration official Olivia Troye.
Harris said she was joined by more than 100 Republicans from across the country who support her campaign.
“Now, in a typical election, it would be surprising if all of you were here with me. But not in this election. Because at stake in this race are the democratic ideals that our founders and generations of Americans have fought for. “What is at stake in this election is the Constitution itself,” he stated. “We are here today because we share a fundamental belief: that country must come before the party.”
A spokesperson for Harris said the event with Republicans and the Fox News interview are aimed at independents and Republicans who backed candidates like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who may be open to supporting the vice president's candidacy.
“We feel like we definitely accomplished what we set out to do in the sense that she was able to reach an audience that probably hasn't been exposed to the arguments that she's been making along the way and she was also able to show her toughness by standing her ground. loud in the face of a hostile interviewer,” spokesman Brian Fallon told reporters aboard Air Force Two on a Wednesday night flight between Trenton and Milwaukee.
Harris' campaign has seized on comments Trump made this week about using the military to pursue “domestic enemies” in the United States. The former president reiterated his position, citing Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) as examples.
“They are Marxists, communists and fascists,” Trump said on Fox News. “These people are so sick and so evil. If they spent their time trying to make America great again, we would have… it would be very easy to make this country great. But when I found out about that, they said: I was like threatening. I'm not threatening anyone. They are the ones who threaten. They do false research. They have investigated me more than Alphonse Capone. “He was the biggest gangster.”
Also on Wednesday, Trump faced tough questions about his views on immigration, the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, climate change, his handling of the pandemic and other issues during a Univision town hall with Latino voters. in Florida. One Republican explained his concerns about the former president before saying he wanted to give him a chance to win back his vote.
“Maybe we'll get your vote,” Trump responded, according to the New York Times. “It seems like I might not, but that's okay too.”
Mehta reported from Los Angeles and Bierman from Washington Crossing.
