Vice President Harris Sits Down with Fox News

Bret Baier Kamala Harris interview 10.16.2024

FAIR Take | October 2024

In one of her only interviews with Fox News, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down last week with news anchor Bret Baier and discussed immigration, the economy, foreign affairs, and threats against the United States. Immigration took up a large portion of the interview, but on this topic, the Vice President avoided answering direct questions. Instead, Ms. Harris repeated her points that the immigration system is broken and that Congress is to blame.

The first immigration topic Bret Baier raised was catch-and-release. Brett Baier began by asking the Vice President how many illegal aliens have been released since she and Biden took office. When she hesitated to answer, he asked her to guess, “Just a number. Do you think it’s one million, three million?” But Harris failed to acknowledge that, according to her own Secretary of Homeland Security, at least 85 percent of the 10 million illegal aliens encountered at our borders have been released into the United States. Instead she responded, “Bret, let’s just get to the point, ok? The point is that we have a broken immigration system that needs to be repaired…”

Mr. Baier then turned to Remain in Mexico. He asked the Vice President if she regretted the decision to terminate the initiative when first coming into office. Instead of discussing Remain in Mexico, however, Harris pivoted to discussing legislation.  She said, “At the beginning of our administration, within nearly hours of taking the oath, the first bill that we offered Congress….was a bill to fix our immigration system.”  That bill, the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, notably fails to include any border security provisions but instead grants amnesty to those illegally in the country.  Baier pointed out that the Biden-Harris bill was never considered, even though Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House.

Vice President Harris, however, sought to characterize her legislative efforts on immigration as constructive. She said, “We recognized from day one that it…is a priority for us as a nation and the American people, and our focus has been on fixing a problem.” She claimed that the administration has “from day one” addressed our asylum system and put more resources into immigration, including more immigration judges. Harris also said the administration tightened and increased penalties – although it’s not clear how, as penalties for illegal entry and re-entry, or working without authorization, are prescribed in statute by Congress.

Kamala Harris also touted the Senate border bill as a “solution.” She described how the bill would have provided more funding, but did not acknowledge the damaging policies that bill would have codified, such as releasing asylum-seekers, regardless of whether their claims are valid. That bill was voted down twice in the Senate this year, first in February and then in May. When Bret Baier pointed out that six Democrats had voted against the bill, Harris pivoted and blamed the former President. “Donald Trump learned about that bill and told them to kill it, because he preferred to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem.”

Baier remained focused on catch-and release, however, and its detrimental impact on public safety.  Baier pointed out that the suspected killers of Jocelyn Nungary, Rachel Morin, and Laken Riley entered under Harris’ administration and were not properly vetted. He also pointed out that the failed Senate bill would not have prevented those heinous murders. Harris, in response, said they were tragic cases, but added, “It is also true that if a border security [bill] had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents at the border, more support for the folks who are working around the clock trying to hold it all together, to ensure that no future harm would occur.”  

As the discussion progressed, Harris still would not address the administration’s policy to release most illegal aliens. Instead Harris emphasized that more money is the solution to our border crisis and that Congress needs to provide it. Harris also talked about her recent (and only second) trip to the southern border as vice president.  She said the border agents “need more resources.”  “We need to process those cases faster…We need more judges.”

Finally, Bret Baier asked Vice President Harris about her previous positions on immigration. In 2019, Harris said she supported allowing illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses, to qualify for free tuition at U.S. universities, and having access to healthcare. She also supported taxpayer funding for gender transition surgeries for individuals in custody and reducing detention. When asked if she stands by those positions, she said “I will follow the law” and described the Trump administration’s policy as no different.

 

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