Fox News anchor Bret Baier: Kamala Harris ‘wanted to have a go-after-Donald Trump viral moment’

Fox News anchor Bret Baier is facing backlash from multiple fronts:

— Supporters of Donald Trump are criticizing him for not being tough enough during his hour-long interview with Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday night.

— Democratic supporters have labeled him rude for interrupting Harris frequently throughout the discussion.

— Media critics have pointed out that Fox deceptively edited a clip of Trump, which Harris challenged in real time.

— Across the board, many feel Baier, in his attempts to challenge Harris, ultimately fell short.

Even Baier seemed to concede that Harris emerged victorious from the interview. “I think she had a mission,” he remarked afterward. “She may have wanted a viral moment, and she succeeded.”

Harris received widespread acclaim for her performance. 

Former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger praised her for standing firm against Fox's tactics: “She went into the lion’s den and held her own. Fox tried to use their typical tricks, but she redirected the conversation back to Trump, holding him accountable in his own territory. She was strong and confident.”

Lincoln Project founder Rick Wilson remarked, “Kamala came to Fox to stack bodies.”

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin bluntly tweeted, “He got his ass kicked.”

Mark Cuban, billionaire and “Shark Tank” star who advises Harris’ campaign, commended her approach: “Kamala Harris understood and responded to each question with real-world context. She remained composed and didn’t play the victim. She confronted Baier and didn’t back down.”

In a particularly contentious moment, Baier played a clip of Trump claiming that liberals were the enemy because he has faced more investigations than Al Capone. Harris seized the opportunity, stating, “With all due respect, that clip doesn’t reflect what he has said about the ‘enemy within.’” She continued, asserting that Trump has suggested turning the military on American citizens and locking up dissenters.

Baier attempted to interrupt her, but she persisted: “You didn’t show that. This is a democracy. The President should handle criticism without resorting to threats.”

It later emerged that Fox had edited the clip to omit Trump’s references to “the enemy within,” and Harris caught them in the act.

Former Senator Claire McCaskill weighed in, noting, “If you want to see who is truly stronger, look at Kamala going on Fox News. Even MAGA supporters know Trump would never face tough questioning on MSNBC.”

McCaskill also criticized Baier’s interruptions: “I expected tough questions but didn’t anticipate such rudeness. The VP did well; he seemed scared.”

Political analyst Jeff Greenfield remarked, “I expected tough questions, but I didn’t foresee Baier becoming combative. In that role, he inadvertently helped Harris.”

David Plouffe, a campaign adviser, noted, “Kamala Harris handled the ambush interview with grace, unlike Donald Trump, who stumbled through his own Fox town hall.”

Even some of Baier’s Fox colleagues acknowledged Harris’s effectiveness; Dana Perino admitted she was “fairly effective,” while Brit Hume noted her “combative and energetic” style.

Author David Rothkopf remarked, “Time and again, Kamala Harris has proven her strength. She emerged from an ambush while Trump and Fox revealed their weaknesses.”

On social media, users like James Fallows speculated on how Trump would perform in a similar situation: “Imagine Trump facing tough questions for half an hour from Rachel Maddow.”

Former Obama staffer Tommy Vietor concluded, “Kamala Harris proved she can handle tough questions from anyone, while Baier reminded us of his alignment with Murdoch and the GOP.”