Could Harris win over Republican voters during her Fox interview? What experts say

Vice President Kamala Harris has agreed to an interview with Fox News as the presidential hopeful continues making her case on podcasts, radio interviews and national television in the final stretch of the election.

But what does she stand to gain by visiting “hostile territory?”

Harris is having a one-on-one talk with Fox News’ chief political anchor, Bret Baier, in the potentially decisive swing state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Oct. 16, with the interview scheduled to air at 6 p.m. ET.

Given Fox News’ reputation as a right-leaning outlet, experts say this seemingly risky TV appearance could pay off in what is shaping up to be a razor-thin race.

“This, for one, helps keep the media focus on Harris since this is an unexpected interview in hostile territory,” Robert Shapiro, professor of government at Columbia University, told McClatchy News, adding that if the spotlight is on Harris, then it isn’t on former President Donald Trump.

It also affords Harris a rare opportunity to speak directly to a conservative and “Trump-oriented audience” that she normally wouldn’t be able to reach, allowing her “to present herself in a way that could be seen at odds with how Trump and others have portrayed her,” Shapiro said.

There’s also the possible benefit of winning over a small number of Republican voters, independents and undecideds. A recent poll found some who backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the Republican primary remain hesitant to vote for Trump and open to the possibility of supporting Harris.

“Viewers and those hearing reactions to the interview may include voters on the fence or who could be nudged to vote for her — or at least not for Trump,” he said.

In a race as tight as this — with nearly all swing state polling in the margin of error — every public appearance could be fateful.

Polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight, for example, has Harris ahead of Trump in national polls 48.5% to 46%, with a 54% chance of winning the Electoral College, as of Oct. 16.

But there’s only so many voters left to sway this late in an election cycle, Thomas Patterson, professor of government and the press at Harvard University, told McClatchy News.

“Few voters remain undecided and even fewer Fox viewers are in that category,” Patterson said, though he points out polling suggests Harris has done better at bringing Republicans to her side than Trump has bringing Democrats to his.

“It can only be assumed that she’ll tailor her remarks to Republicans who have reservations about Trump. If she can solidify her support among that group and assure a few others, she likely would regard that as a ‘win,’” Patterson said. “There is no possibility of a home run. We’re too polarized for that, as exemplified by the near-zero bounce she got from besting Trump in their presidential debate.”

What to expect?

So what can we expect during the interview itself? Well, don’t expect an ambush, Patterson said.

“The Bret Baier component of the interview is important. He’s a fact-based journalist. His program is pitched to conservatives in the topics it addresses but he has a solid record within that boundary of playing it straight. He’s not an election denier, for example,” Patterson said. “I would expect him to ask pointed questions. but it’s unlikely they’ll be framed as ‘gotcha questions’ that will make (Harris) look bad regardless of her answer.”

Shapiro agrees there won’t be many softballs thrown.

“We can expect tough questions — obvious ones about inflation, immigration, and Afghanistan, for example — and she will have to determine how to acquit herself in a positive way or at least not hurt herself,” he said.

Trump, for his part, called Fox News “weak and soft” on Democrats in reaction to the planned interview, according to The Hill, while the Harris campaign slammed Trump for pulling out of a “60 Minutes” interview that Harris participated in on Oct. 7.

Harris has a lot of campaigning under her belt after suddenly becoming the Democratic nominee this summer, and Patterson said she’s likely well-prepared for Baier.

“Harris was criticized earlier in her campaign for avoiding interviews and press conferences … (because) she needed the time to discover how to define her candidacy,” Patterson said. “Having done that, she’s now comfortable with her message. She’s disciplined in her remarks and, unlike Trump or even Biden, is not prone to verbal gaffes. That’s almost certainly one reason she downplays the risk of appearing on Fox.”

Nearly 6 million Americans have already voted ahead of the Nov. 5 election, according to the Associated Press.

This story was originally published October 16, 2024 at 8:26 AM with the headline "Could Harris win over Republican voters during her Fox interview? What experts say."