Kamala Harris repeatedly pivots to Trump when grilled on immigration record in Fox News interview
Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly dodged several questions about her administration's immigration record and instead pivot to former President Trump during an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier.
Baier began the interview Wednesday by asking Harris how many illegal immigrants were released by the Biden administration into the country.
"Well, I'm glad you raised the issue of immigration, because I agree with you," Harris responded. It is a topic of discussion that people want to rightly have. And you know what I'm going to talk about-"
"But just a number," Baier pressed. "Do you think it's 1 million? 3 million?"
"Bret, let's just get to the point, ok?" Harris said. "The point is that we have a broken immigration system that needs to be repaired."
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After Baier invoked DHS estimated that 6 million illegal immigrants had been released into the country, he then pressed her about the Biden administration's decision to reverse Trump-era policies like Remain in Mexico and how that decision is linked to the release of violent criminals.
"So looking back, do you regret the decision to terminate Remain in Mexico at the beginning of your administration?" Baier asked.
Harris responded by highlighting the Biden administration's first legislative push, which was immigration reform, and accused Trump of killing a bipartisan immigration bill.
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The "Special Report" anchor then turned to the high-profile murders of Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin and Lake Riley, all victims at the hands of violent illegal immigrants who entered the country during the Biden administration.
"This is a specific policy decision by your administration to release these men into the country," Baier said. "So what I'm saying to you, do you owe those families an apology?"
"Let me just say- first of all, those are tragic cases. There's no question about that. There's no question about that," Harris said. "And I can't imagine the pain that the families of those victims have experienced for a loss that should not have occurred. So that is true. It is also true that if [the border security bill] had actually been passed nine months ago, it would be nine months that we would have had more border agents at the border, more support for the folks who are working around the clock trying to hold it all together to ensure that no future harm would occur."
"Madam Vice President, it was a policy decision in the early part of your administration," Baier later pressed before turning to testimony from Jocelyn Nungaray's mother, who said the Biden-Harris administration was responsible for her daughter's murder.
"So do you owe them an apology is what I'm saying," Baier again asked.
"I will tell you that I'm so sorry for her loss. I'm so sorry for her loss. Sincerely. But let's talk about what is happening right now with an individual who does not want to participate in solutions," Harris responded. "Let's talk about that as well. In all fairness, I told you I feel awful for what she and her family have experienced."
"You said repeatedly that the border was secure, when in your mind, did it start becoming a crisis?" Baier then asked.
"We've had a broken immigration system transcending, by the way, Donald Trump's administration, even before. Let's all be honest about that," Harris said. "I have no pride in saying that this is a perfect immigration system. I've been clear. I think we all know that it needs to be fixed. We need more- I was just down at the border talking with border agents… we need more judges. We need to process those cases faster. We need the support for cases that should be prosecuted. They need more resources, and Congress, ultimately, is the only place that that's going to get fixed, Bret. That's how this system works."
When Baier asked Harris if she still supports taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for illegal immigrants who are in custody, Harris pivoted to Trump.
"I will follow a law. A law that Donald Trump actually followed. You're probably familiar with now, it's a public report, that under Donald Trump's administration, these surgeries were available to, on a medical necessity basis, to people in the federal prison system. And I think, frankly, that ad from the Trump campaign is a little bit of like throwing, you know, stones when you are living in a glass house," she responded.