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CNN
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Every time interviewers sit down with a newsmaker and start asking questions, interviewers are making a choice. Do they start by warming up their subject or go straight to the jugular?

Fox News anchor Bret Baier took one route last year when he interviewed former President Donald Trump, and a very different route when he interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris this week in her first formal conversation with the right-wing network.

A detailed review of the two interviews revealed that there was a clear difference in Fox’s treatment of the two top candidates for president. Last year, Baier was praised by media critics for challenging Trump.

“At key moments, Baier’s interviews put Trump on his heels, forcing him to issue shoddy excuses for his behavior,” the Washington Post’s Erik Wemple wrote after the interview aired in June 2023.

However, Baier didn’t talk about Trump nearly as much when he interrupted Harris. The Fox anchor’s first question to Trump was also a softball.

‘I’m not done yet’: Harris interview with Fox News turns heated

“I asked this question, the same first question, to all the candidates I interviewed this year,” Baier said. “And that is this: What do you think is the most important issue facing the country right now?”

Trump spoke for 45 seconds, bringing up the economy, the southern border, the military, “woke” politics and other topics. Baier did not interrupt him.

Baier’s first question to Harris on Wednesday was much more pointed: “How many illegal immigrants do you estimate your government has released into the country over the past three and a half years?”

Harris spoke for eleven seconds before Baier intervened and asked for a specific number.

Harris indicated she wanted to speak more broadly about a “broken immigration system that needs to be fixed,” and Baier interrupted again. The host pointed to examples of illegal immigrants committing “heinous crimes” in the United States and asked whether Harris regretted the policy decisions that allowed criminals into the country. The back and forth continued from there.

In Trump’s case, the second question was another warm-up, apparently designed to put the Republican at ease. Baier said the question was from a Trump fan named Erica, who asked, “What is the first thing you will do to change this country if you are elected?”

Baier then moved on to tougher questions for Trump, particularly about allegations that he mishandled confidential material.

“Baier has repeatedly pushed back on Trump’s falsehoods and exposed his vulnerabilities on key conservative priorities,” Axios reported afterward.

At times, Baier sounded irritated, such as when Trump claimed he won the 2020 election. “You lost the 2020 election,” Baier said in a tone that suggested he was tired of the lie. “There were recounts in all the swing states,” the host added.

On other points, Baier joked and agreed with Trump, betraying a familiarity with the former president. Baier and Harris, on the other hand, had never met before Wednesday. “Nice to meet you,” Harris said at the end of the interview.

Baier was more animated as he questioned Harris, as if he knew Fox’s conservative base wanted to see her squirm in her seat.

In total, Baier interrupted Harris at least 38 times in 27 minutes, about twice as often as Baier interrupted Trump (at least 28 times in 36 minutes).

Of course, the Harris campaign tried to impose a time limit on the interview, so perhaps Baier intervened more often due to time constraints.

The Trump interview covered noticeably more ground, while Baier focused on some specific areas with Harris, such as questions about the border and President Joe Biden’s mental acuity.

“When did you first notice that President Biden’s mental abilities seemed impaired?” Baier asked.

“Bret, Joe Biden is not on the ballot. And so is Donald Trump,” Harris replied.

CNN’s Liam Reilly contributed reporting.