The Interview
By 
The National Interest asked me to contribute a short column on Bret Baier’s interview with Kamala Harris. Not normally something I’d watch, but the money spends, so…
Given that Harris has served as a prominent elected official in California and at the federal level and that she ran a major party political campaign during the 2020 cycle, this line of critique has always been puzzling; why set expectations for Harris low when she’s quite likely to perform adequately before even a hostile interview? Nevertheless, former President Trump has amplified this criticism by claiming that Harris is mentally deficient and incapable of giving a professional-level political interview.
This left Harris in a situation where she could refute the central line of GOP attack simply by showing up and demonstrating basic competence. Harris did this, and more. She demonstrated a command of the policy issues and an ability to push back against hostile questioning. She challenged Baier on Trump, growing especially animated when making a point about Trump’s demonization of elements of the American electorate and challenging Baier’s mischaracterization of Trump’s remarks.