How Bret Baier’s combative interview with Harris compares to his conversation with Trump

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CNN
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Interviewers make a decision every time they sit down with a newsmaker and start asking questions. Do they start by warming up their topic or do they go straight for the jugular?

Fox News host Bret Baier chose one path when he interviewed former President Donald Trump last year and a very different path this week when he interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris in her first formal meeting with the right-wing network.

A detailed review of the two interviews showed a clear difference in Fox’s treatment of the two leading candidates for president. Last year, Baier was praised by media critics for challenging Trump.

“At crucial moments, Baier’s interview threw Trump on his heels and forced him to formulate sloppy excuses for his behavior,” wrote Erik Wemple of the Washington Post after the interview aired in June 2023.

However, Baier didn’t talk about Trump nearly as much as he interrupted Harris. The Fox host’s first question to Trump was also a softball.

‘I’m not done yet’: Harris interview with Fox News gets heated

“I asked this question, the same first question, to every candidate I interviewed this year,” Baier said. “And that is this: What do you think is the most important issue facing the country right now?”

Trump spoke for 45 seconds, bringing up the economy, the southern border, the military, “woke” politics and other issues. Baier didn’t interrupt.

Baier’s first question to Harris on Wednesday was much more pointed: “How many illegal immigrants do you think your administration has released into the country in the last three and a half years?”

Harris spoke for 11 seconds before Baier chimed in and asked for a specific number.

Harris indicated she wanted to talk more generally about a “broken immigration system that needs to be fixed,” and Baier interrupted her again. The moderator referred to cases of illegal immigrants committing “heinous crimes” in the United States and asked whether Harris regrets the policy decisions that allowed criminals to enter the country. From there the back and forth developed.

For Trump, the second question was another warm-up question, apparently designed to make the Republican comfortable. Baier said it was a question from a Trump fan named Erica who asked, “What’s the first thing you’re going to do to save this country if you’re elected?”

Baier then moved on to tougher questions for Trump, particularly the allegations that he mishandled classified material.

“Baier has repeatedly rejected Trump’s falsehoods and exposed his vulnerabilities on key conservative priorities,” Axios subsequently reported.

At times, Baier sounded angry, such as when Trump claimed he won the 2020 election. “You lost the 2020 election,” Baier said in a tone that suggested he was tired of the lie. “There have been recounts in all the swing states,” the moderator added.

At other points, Baier joked and agreed with Trump, revealing a familiarity with the former president. Baier and Harris, on the other hand, had never met before Wednesday. “Nice to meet you,” Harris said at the end of the interview.

Baier was more animated as he questioned Harris, as if he knew Fox’s conservative base wanted to see her move back and forth in her seat.

In total, Baier interrupted Harris at least 38 times in 27 minutes, about twice as often as Baier interrupted Trump (at least 28 times in 36 minutes).

Of course, the Harris campaign tried to limit the time of the interview, so Baier may have interjected more frequently because of time constraints.

The Trump interview covered significantly more topics, while Baier focused on several specific areas with Harris, such as questions about the border and President Joe Biden’s mental acuity.

“When did you first notice that President Biden’s mental faculties appeared to be weakened?” Baier asked.

“Bret, Joe Biden is not on the ballot. And Donald Trump is,” Harris replied.

CNN’s Liam Reilly contributed reporting.