No, Kamala Harris did not call Joe Biden “unstable” in Fox News interview


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After Vice President Kamala Harris sat down Oct. 16 with Fox News anchor Bret Baier for a heated interview, one Instagram post deceptively edited footage from it.

“When did you first notice that President Biden’s mental faculties appear diminished?” Baier asked Harris during the interview. 

In the clip shared Oct. 16 on Instagram, Harris appears to answer, “He’s unstable, he is unstable, Bret. He’s not stable and we should all be concerned.” Grammatically incorrect text over the video reads, “Kamala on Joe Bidens mental fitness.”

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The full length video shows that when Harris gave that response, the Democratic presidential nominee was discussing former President Donald Trump, not Biden.

In an exchange where Baier and Harris talked over each other, a transcript shows this is what they said:

Baier: “You call Donald Trump, he’s misguided. You say now he’s—”

Harris: “He’s unstable.”

Baier:  ” …unstable.”

Harris: “He is unstable, Bret.”

Baier: ” He’s not well, you say he is mentally not stable.” 

Harris: “He’s not stable.”

Baier:  “Let me ask you this.”

Harris: “And we should all be concerned.”

Baier: “You told many interviewers that Joe Biden was on his game, that ran around circles on his staff. When did you first notice that President Biden’s mental faculties appear diminished?”

Harris: “Joe Biden, I have watched in from the Oval Office to the Situation Room, and he has the judgment and … experience to do exactly what he has done in making very important decisions on behalf of the American people.”

We rate the claim that Harris commented on Biden’s “mental fitness,” saying he’s “not stable” and “we should all be concerned,” Pants on Fire!

Truth-o-meter Ruling

Pants on Fire!

If your time is short

  • This video has been deceptively edited to give the appearance that Vice President Kamala Harris called President Joe Biden "unstable" during an Oct. 16 Fox News interview. Harris used that word to describe former President Donald Trump.

Statement

Vice President Kamala Harris commented on President Joe Biden’s “mental fitness,” saying, “he’s not stable” and “we should all be concerned.”

Context

an Instagram post

Speaker/Target

Statement Date

October 16, 2024
Our Sources

Instagram post (archived), Oct. 16, 2024

PolitiFact, Live fact-checking Kamala Harris’ interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Oct. 16, 2024

Fox News, Full interview: Vice President Kamala Harris sits down with Bret Baier in ‘Special Report’ exclusive, Oct. 17, 2024

YouTube, Vice President Kamala Harris grilled on pivotal issues as election nears on ‘Special Report,’ Oct. 16, 2024

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