The hashtag #TrainWreckKamala shot to the top of X (formerly Twitter) after Vice President Kamala Harris‘ rocky interview on Fox News with Bret Baier. On Wednesday evening, Harris faced tough questions, primarily focusing on her administration’s handling of immigration and border security. Critics quickly labeled the interview a disaster, and the hashtag began trending early Thursday morning, accumulating over 30,000 posts by midday.
The most heated moment came when Baier pressed Harris about the tragic murders of Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and Jocelyn Nungaray, all reportedly killed by illegal immigrants who entered the country under the Biden administration’s more lenient border policies. Commentators, such as Brenden Dilley, shared clips of this exchange on X, calling Harris’ response a “trainwreck.” Dilley captioned the clip with, “There is no recovering from this answer less than three weeks before an election. #TrainWreckKamala.”
When asked if she would apologize to the victims’ families, Harris called the incidents “tragic cases that should not have occurred,” but shifted the blame to former President Donald Trump, saying, “It is also true that if a border security bill had been passed nine months ago, we would have had more agents at the border by now, more support for those working tirelessly to prevent such tragedies.” Harris then pivoted to the upcoming election, arguing that it would determine whether the country elects a president who genuinely wants to address border security, even if it’s politically inconvenient.
Harris was referencing a bill from earlier this year, which critics say would have allowed 1.4 million illegal immigrants into the country annually. This remark sparked further backlash, as her defense of current border policies came across as evasive rather than addressing the victims’ specific tragedies.
The vice president faced additional tough questions, including on controversial issues such as taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners and detained illegal immigrants. When pressed on these policies, she repeatedly said, “I will follow the law,” but avoided giving a clear stance on whether these laws should be changed to align with the administration’s policies.
Baier revealed later in the interview that Harris’ aides were trying to intervene during the interview, signaling that it needed to end. “Four people who were with Harris were waving their hands, saying that ‘it’s gotta stop,’” Baier explained. This added fuel to the social media fire, with users sharing memes and posts mocking the situation. Conservative commentators, The Hodge Twins, posted a meme referencing Harris’ team trying to stop the interview. The meme, which said “Throw the d*mn towel,” was accompanied by the caption, “Kamala’s handlers watching the interview #TrainWreckKamala.”
The fallout from the interview highlighted growing concerns among some voters about Harris’ leadership and ability to address critical issues. With the election just a few weeks away, the incident could have significant repercussions for the Biden-Harris ticket as the administration’s handling of the border continues to be a hot-button issue. The hashtag #TrainWreckKamala became a rallying cry for critics, emphasizing the perceived failures in her performance and policies.
Harris, in her defense, has continued to stress the importance of voting in the upcoming election, positioning herself as someone who is trying to fix problems rather than dodge responsibility. However, her answers on Fox News may have done little to sway voters, especially in light of the social media storm that followed.
