Trump seethes over claims he was cut off by Fox News during Harris rant

Donald Trump expressed his frustration on Truth Social after being interrupted by Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum during a phone interview. The former president was calling in to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

During the conversation, which lasted around ten minutes, technical issues arose, leading to beeping sounds as Trump inadvertently pressed buttons on his phone. This interruption seemed to further exacerbate his agitation.

Trump took to social media to openly condemn Harris’s speech, labeling her as “radical” and referring to her as “Comrade Kamala.” He echoed his criticisms regarding her stance and policies, asserting that her presentation lacked substance and failed to address pressing issues such as crime and inflation.

In her address, Harris countered by describing Trump as soft on dictators and a danger to democracy and American values, branding him as “an unserious man.”

During the Fox News call, the hosts frequently attempted to interject with questions, but Trump continued to dominate the conversation. He seemed taken aback by the emergence of Harris as a significant competitor following President Joe Biden’s endorsement last month.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump detailed the events leading up to the interview. “Bret Baier of FoxNews called me, I didn’t call him, just prior to the Kamala Convention speech, and asked me if I would like to critique her after she is finished. I agreed to do so!” he wrote. He characterized her speech as vague and weak, claiming it lacked focus on critical topics like fracking and inflation.

Trump graded her delivery with a C+, criticizing her for the excessive number of rapid “thank you’s” at the beginning of her speech, which he found strange. His remarks reflect a growing trend among Republican leaders to depict Democratic approaches as “weird,” a label popularized by Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, before her nomination.

Trump continued his tirade, asserting that the media misrepresented his willingness to participate in interviews. “I didn’t call other media outlets that asked me to go on; they called me,” he stated. He specifically called out the New York Times and its columnist Maureen Dowd for what he termed false representation, emphasizing that he draws significant ratings and does not need to chase media appearances.

When MacCallum pointed out that Harris had made strides with various demographic groups, such as women, Hispanic voters, and Black voters, Trump interjected, asserting, “She’s not having success – I’m having success. I’m doing great with the Hispanic voters, doing great with Black men, I’m doing great with women.”

Commentators observing the situation noted that Trump’s demeanor during his interviews appeared unsteady. Maggie Haberman from the New York Times remarked that he did not seem to have full control during the discussions following Harris’s speech. “He is clearly jarred by her,” she noted during her appearance on CNN.

Overall, the incident highlights the heightened tensions entering the election cycle, particularly as both parties gear up for a potentially contentious race. With Trump still a prominent figure in Republican politics, reactions to Harris’s nomination and her acceptance speech seem to have struck a nerve.