On October 17, 2024, Kamala Harris appeared on Fox News anchor Bret Baier’s show, signaling a shift in the Democratic Party’s campaign strategy during the 2024 US election. The Democrats are increasingly willing to engage with conservative media outlets.
Fox News stated that since the Democratic Party convention in August, the number of Democrats interviewed by Fox has doubled compared to the 2020 election cycle.
There has long been debate within the Democratic Party about whether to ignore Fox or seize the opportunity to change some viewers’ perspectives. During the campaign, Biden did not attend any events at Fox News, while Hillary Clinton made only a couple of appearances during the primary and in the summer of 2016.
Ian Sams, a spokesperson for Kamala Harris’ campaign team, emphasized the importance of engaging with all Americans regardless of where they get their information or entertainment.
Sams stated, “This allows them to hear directly from us, unfiltered, about who Vice President Kamala Harris is, what she represents, and why she is running for office.”
This week, the Democrats have started venturing into “enemy territory,” aiming to influence more conservative voters. Trump even complained about Sams on social media, claiming that Sams “almost owns the network.”
During her first interview on Fox News, Kamala Harris discussed immigration issues, the economy, the Biden administration, and public opinion polls indicating that Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.
On several sensitive issues, Harris was willing to engage in direct confrontations with the hosts, demanding multiple times to finish her statements.
Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, has appeared on Fox News Sunday for two consecutive weeks, which airs on both broadcast and cable television.
In another instance, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg regularly delivers speeches on Fox News and addressed the viewers during the Democratic National Convention mentioning his appearances on the network.
Buttigieg once told PBS in August that he is proud to represent the Harris-Walz team in conservative media to present arguments and facts that might not otherwise be aired in those outlets.
Other Democratic figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and federal representatives Jared Moskowitz and Ro Khanna have also made multiple appearances on Fox.
Dan Pfeiffer, a co-host of the podcast “Pod Save America,” and former aide to President Obama, mentioned that typically, Democrats might not engage with networks that are fully committed to defeating them, but this time is an exception to attract moderate Republicans and leaning-independent voters.
Fox also emphasized that contrary to common perception, they have a substantial number of independent and Democratic viewers. In terms of audience size, Fox’s share among cable news viewers outside of Nevada exceeds the combined total of CNN and MSNBC in swing states.
(Reference: Associated Press)