SAVANNAH ― Doug Emhoff told supporters Thursday to expect his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, to be a “fierce, ferocious fighter” in the final days of the 2024 election campaign, pointing to Harris’ combativeness in a Wednesday interview with Fox News as an example.
“She will continue to be the best, most badass version of herself,” Emhoff said in a campaign appearance at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.
Emhoff’s visit came about 18 hours after the vice president sat for an interview with Bret Baier, host of Fox News’ “Special Report.” Interruptions marked the 26-minute interview, with Baier repeatedly talking over Harris when she did not offer direct answers immediately to his questions. Harris frequently asked Baier to allow her to finish her replies.
“You saw how tough she was with Bret Baier. Bret tried everything but the kitchen sink, and she was not having it,” Emhoff said. “She got to go back and forth with Bret and once again show the American people she will not take any nonsense. … She’s not going to back down to anyone.”
Harris’ Fox News appearance was her first on the cable network that is a favorite of conservative Americans. She is in the midst of a media blitz that has included interviews on podcasts, local and national radio shows, including Howard Stern’s, and TV programs such as “60 Minutes” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
“The Fox News interview was a big deal because the whole world that has been lied to on Fox News about her over the last four years could finally see with their own eyes the truth,” Emhoff said. “They saw how smart, how fearless, how competent, and what a person of high character she is.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Emhoff spoke before about 100 Savannah-area Democrats invited to the event. In addition to his assessment of the Fox News interview, Emhoff spent time contrasting the leadership styles of Harris and the GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump.
“He was very enthusiastic and painted a great picture of how the nation will be under her,” said Scott Center, a local resident and small business owner. “At the same time it filled me with anxiety about what a second Trump presidency would look like.”
Harris campaigned in Wisconsin on Thursday as Emhoff and her sister, Maya Harris, visited Savannah to encourage coastal Georgians to vote early ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Early voting opened Tuesday across the state, and a record 600,000 Georgians cast ballots in the first two days.
Emhoff told Savannahians he will next carry his get-out-the-vote message to residents of Arizona, Nevada, Michigan and Pennsylvania — all states, like Georgia, where polls indicate Harris is locked in a tight race with Trump.
Following Emhoff’s speech, he and Maya Harris had lunch at famed downtown eatery Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, met with Savannah State University students on campus and visited the Democratic Party’s local campaign office to rally neighborhood canvassing volunteers.
Emhoff is the latest in a line of high-profile politicos to campaign in the coastal city this election cycle. Both Harris and Trump have held events in Savannah in recent months. Harris and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz sat for a CNN interview at a downtown restaurant during their late-August visit. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota campaigned for Trump in the city in September.
Trump was scheduled for a return trip next week, where he was to be the keynote speaker at a National Rifle Association rally at the Savannah Convention Center. But the NRA announced the event’s cancellation Thursday morning, citing a Trump campaign scheduling conflict.
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