Kamala Harris will do a sit-down interview with right-wing broadcaster Fox News on Wednesday, the news channel announced Monday, in the most dramatic moment yet in the Democratic presidential nominee’s latest media blitz.
An interview with Bret Baier, Fox News’ chief political anchor, showed that Democrats have increased their presence on Fox News in part to reach out to undecided voters and right-wing critics said CBS News’ 60 Minutes edited the interview after it became embroiled in a controversy. To show Harris more briefly.
In a press release, Fox said the interview with the vice president will take place on Wednesday, October 16, and a special report with Brett Baier will air at 6:00 p.m.
Harris’ appearance comes after criticism that he has avoided all but the most tender sit-downs, including with Oprah Winfrey, ABC’s morning talk-show In The View, former shock jock Howard Stern and Late Night’s Stephen Colbert.
Harris has also appeared on the podcast Call Me Daddy. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is reportedly going full-sent on Joe Rogan ahead of Election Day.
Fox’s announcement comes after Time magazine owner Marc Benioff complained Sunday that Harris had refused multiple interview requests. Benioff said the denial was “unlike every other presidential candidate,” including Biden and Trump.
“We believe in transparency and publish every interview in full,” Benioff said Wrote in X. Why isn’t the vice president engaging with the public at the same level?
Harris’ sit-down with Fox News will be his first formal interview with the network — but not the first for Democratic campaign surrogates. With at least three times the viewership of CNN and MSNBC, candidates seeking votes often make Fox a practical choice.
Nielsen Media Research Fox News is the highest-rated network in all swing states. According to the latest YouGov poll – 54% of Republicans, 22% of Democrats, and 28% of independent voters have watched a cable station in the past month.
Jessica Logger, vice president of politics at the network; Bloomberg said Network ratings rose when Democrats were in power. Bayer told Axios: “If you build it, they will come.”
It’s a well-worn path for Democrats this election cycle. Because Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on the network, he often introduced himself at the Democratic convention in August: “I’m Pete Buttigieg, and you may recognize me from Fox News.”
Buttigieg said he was proud to speak on behalf of Democrats because their arguments and facts would otherwise not be broadcast to Fox viewers.
Democratic governors Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore and Gretchen Whitmer and senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, John Fetterman and Chris Coons have also landed on the network.
The Harris appearance points to an attempt by Democrats to escape ideologically aligned media bubbles in a bid for votes.
“We have so many hyper-close elections that even if you get a point or two from the Republicans and put it in your column, it could be 10,000 votes that gives you that swing position,” says the University of Virginia. political analyst Larry Sabato told the Guardian last month.