Bret Baier, a prominent Fox News anchor, is standing firm on his interviewing tactics following a heated exchange with Vice President Kamala Harris during their October 16 interview. The encounter stirred significant attention, even inspiring a parody on “Saturday Night Live,” where Alec Baldwin humorously depicted Baier’s aggressive questioning style.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Baier explained that his interruptions were intended to steer Harris away from her prepared “talking points.” He emphasized that if he hadn’t interjected, the Vice President’s lengthy responses would have consumed the entire segment, which was conducted as a live-to-tape broadcast.
Reports indicated that Baier interrupted Harris approximately 38 times within a 27-minute timeframe. This frequency of interruption was nearly double that of his interview with former President Donald Trump, in which he interjected about 28 times over 36 minutes. The satirical sketch from SNL humorously portrayed Harris, played by Maya Rudolph, telling Baldwin’s Baier that he must “listen” to her responses, to which Baldwin’s character retorted, “Well, I can’t because I’m talking.”
More Read
Reflecting on the interview, Baier noted that Harris’s campaign had come prepared, aiming for viral moments, particularly discussing Trump. He remarked, “I wish we could have just had this conversation, but because of time constraints and how she was answering, I figured if we didn’t do what we did, it would have been about four questions in [those] 20-plus minutes.”
Despite the backlash, Baier defended his approach, asserting that his previous interview with Trump exhibited a similar tone and interruptions when the former President attempted to steer the conversation toward his talking points. “I get the criticism,” Baier acknowledged. “I get the wondering whether that was different. But if you look back on that one-on-one with former President Trump, he didn’t like it at the time either.”
Looking ahead, Baier expressed his desire for another opportunity to interview Harris, stating, “I’d love to try again. The more candidates face tough but fair questions, the better it is for viewers and voters, and actually the better it is for candidates.”
Baier’s comments underscore the ongoing debate surrounding media interviewing techniques, particularly in political contexts where candidates often come prepared with specific narratives. His determination to foster candid dialogue highlights the challenges journalists face in balancing thorough questioning with the need to allow candidates to express their viewpoints.
