Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner attacks her NABJ panel co-moderator in defense of Trump's performance
Faulkner accused ABC's Rachel Scott of creating “gotcha moments” and having “an agenda”
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From the August 1, 2024 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends
HARRIS FAULKNER (FOX NEWS ANCHOR): Those moments yesterday, the audio and technical problems we were having per the NABJ and ABC News were really, really frustrating. And I am watching that back and I'm seeing that we were able to -- at some point the former president and I have a conversation -- so much of what America is focused on today and so much of what that started with with all that emotion and the gotcha moments from the interviewer who was seated directly to his left, has really overtaken the fact that we had an opportunity to talk with the president who walked into a racial storm yesterday. There were journalists, activists, whatever you want to call people who let their politics show who wanted the NABJ to rescind their offer to have the 45th president of the United States to come and sit.
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All of that I say because there were protesters who were forecast to come, and then the internal stuff that was going on. He walks out on stage and not a greeting to acknowledge it's been 18 days at that point since you survived an assassination attempt. We're going to ask you tough questions, but Mr. President, welcome, and we are glad you're still here. I mean, it didn't take much to show humanity and in that moment I was so disappointed that that didn't happen. I couldn't control it, but it got things off to an emotional start and you and I both know that once that happens and you are interviewing someone, there is an agenda. And I'm glad that you guys played a clip of that, because America and the journalists in the room -- who by the way sat and listened, some were laughing along with the president, little jokes and quips he was making, there were some critical in the audience too, -- but it was expressed respectively or respectfully rather.
There was a way to have taken some of the energy out of that moment though, with that reporter. And what I would say to anyone who is going to be discussing race while the left is playing the race card mightily, take the air out of the balloon a little bit and let things cool down by saying, look, I am willing to discuss anything with you, but if you show me disrespect, if we can't have mutual respect, then it is up to you if you want me to get up and leave. It's all on you. You've got the control, and boom, take it down. But what the president did say yesterday, was he really made some points on the economy. He made points on the border. But the race comments, they have been tough and I don't know Ainsley, I don't know, and Steve, that people are going to vote on the color of their skin and the hair texture this time around. This is about money, the color is green. When candidates are talked with it's worth saying, no matter who is in the room, I mean come on Black communities aren't hit by the economy, of course they are. So let's focus on that, how do we empower the voters to know the information they need to know, when they go to vote as early September 6 in a couple of the battleground states.