Stephen Colbert applauds Kamala Harris' Fox performance, rips Bret Baier
By Matt Moore
Vice President Kamala Harris made the unexpected decision to sit for a one-on-one interview with Fox News host Bret Baier earlier this week. Stephen Colbert applauded Harris' performance while at the same time ripping Baier for catering to "an audience of one."
Since launching her campaign, Vice President Harris has faced criticism that she avoided interviews and press conferences. Critics claimed she wanted to avoid tough questions. Harris put an end to that argument by appearing on Fox around the same time Donald Trump pulled out of a 60 Minutes interview.
"Kamala Harris entered the belly of the beast," Stephen Colbert said of Harris' Fox News interview. "And then cut her way out with a rusty spoon." But as much as the Late Show host praised Harris, he focused more on criticizing Bret Baier.
Colbert joked that Baier can play a convincing journalist on television. The monologue made sure to highlight Baier's 2020 email suggesting that Fox News retract his election night reporting in order to appease Trump and his base.
"So, you'd be justified in thinking Baier might be doing this interview for an audience of one," Colbert argued. Cut to clips of Baier refusing to let Harris answer questions and the comedian's point was made.
Colbert continued, hammering Baier for playing an incomplete clip of Trump reiterating his "enemy within" comments. "We know what Trump actually said in that interview because Fox was dumb enough to point a camera at him," Colbert quipped.
The segment wrapped up with Colbert taking one final dig at Baier. "A journalist can't selectively edit what someone says just to please their audience ... but a late-night host can." Over raucous applause, Colbert showed doctored clips of Baier admitting the interview was a failure and he was "stupid."
Kamala Harris escaped her Fox News interview relatively unscathed. There was no "gotcha" moment and she did nothing to hurt her campaign. But ask Stephen Colbert and he'll tell you that it was Fox and Bret Baier who actually came out looking worse.