For ten years, Fox News created a protective bubble around Donald Trump. Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris shattered it.

Harris's Stand Against Fox News

One memorable exchange in a recent Bret Baier interview on Fox News, for example, will surely stand out. Harris summarily put Baier in his place regarding his decision to broadcast a version of Trump's comments that removed his frightening threat to unleash the military on what he called "the enemy within." The Harris campaign quickly leaked the exchange, suggesting they were pleased with how she responded .

Holding Trump's Carefully Fought-for Image

Political observers almost immediately sensed what this said and didn't say. "Harris obliterated the caricature of her as some Dorian Gray in public view, devoid of any seriousness or speed of thought," Andrew Egger of The Bulwark noted. This did more than subvert expectations-it busted open a larger narrative.

The Fantastical World Surrounding Trump

Fox News, and the rest of Trump's media cheerleaders, curate a wildly misleading view of Trump. One of the primary fabrications of the MAGA movement is that Trump commands some level of public near-majoritarian support, locked out of power by supposedly corrupt forces operating in the media and government institutions. Meanwhile, in truth, Trump never enjoyed majority support in the United States, and his political survival is mainly a function of the massive media ecosystem shaping the country's public perception.

The Power of Propaganda

Harris's exchange with Baier reveals just how critical this propaganda machine is. As Harris went after Trump's rhetoric about an "enemy within," Baier countered with footage from a recent Fox town hall in which Trump was asked about these comments. Conveniently omitted, though: Trump's recommitment to the dangerous idea, alongside Trump's insistence that he is the real victim.

Watch the Harris campaign's video as it unfolds:

Harris Exposes Fox News' Bias in Portraying Trump as the Victim

Kamala Harris was candid during her interview with Bret Baier, especially when he portrayed Trump as the only victim of political persecution. The prosecutions based on the rule of law framed it in such a way that excluded Trump's open threats against his opponents. Harris confronted this exclusion.

Harris Challenges Baier's Cherrypicking

Harris said Baier did not show the full picture. "With all due respect, that clip was not what he has been saying about 'the enemy within,' said Harris. Baier tried to defend the clip, but Harris pressed on, stating he is hiding the truth. She once more led the public's eye to Trump's history of threatening peaceful protesters and his urge to use military force on citizens. "This is a democracy," Harris reminded Baier. "The president of the United States should handle criticism without resorting to threats of locking people up."

Trump's Dangerous Promises Revealed

Harris said that Trump's rhetoric moves beyond political conflict. His campaign now hinges on talking about his opponents as un-American. He threatened to bring federal power to bear on Democratic-run cities, persecute political enemies, and even weaponize disaster relief funds to bribe states into conformity. That is "enemy within" language; it's a promise to open-and-shut violate his oath of office.

Baier Manipulating Support for Trump

Baier not only sanitized Trump's comments; he also exaggerated his lead. He declared Trump leads in swing states when, in reality the races are either neck and neck or slightly favor Harris. Baier then decreed half of the country supports Trump. No, he never wins that sort of majority approval. The manufactured projection fits MAGA's narrative: their movement is "the people" and those who oppose Trump-many of them sometimes-are anti-Americans.

Fox News' Role in Continuously Favoring Trump

Fox News, the media critics like Media Matters ' Matt Gertz have proven time and again, has responded to Trump's most anti-democratic actions by downplaying them. This usually sums Baier's treatment of Trump especially during such spectacle-laden events as this.

Getting Immigration Facts Incorrect

In the immigration case, Baier also misled the viewers regarding the immigration policies by portraying President Trump's policies to be strict where they were not. He asserted that all migrants were held, and in fact the Remain in Mexico program by Trump had ensured that. However, facts have proved him wrong. During Trump's time, many such migrants walked free into the US due to legal compulsions as well as due to underfunding. Under Biden, many are walking free into the US unscathed too. As David Bier of Cato Institute says, the only change is that many more have managed to come in during Biden's tenure, and not because Trump had had some mythical immigration system that was intact.

Harris Tackles the Propaganda Machine

By standing her ground against Baier, Harris showed just how effective the machine of Fox News propaganda has been to frame Trump's political image. That is to say: without Fox and other right-wing outlets constantly sanitizing his presidency for him, what level of public support would he have generated? This is what Harris's takedown of Baier reveals, precisely how deep that manipulation goes.