Kamala Harris’ sit-down with Fox News’ Bret Baier drew an estimated 7.1 million viewers, according to early Nielsen data, easily beating cable news rivals.
The interview also drew 882,000 in the 25-54 demo.
The interview was Harris’ first appearance on Fox News. It was at times contentious, as Harris and Baier talked over one another at points. Harris at one point called out Baier for not running a complete clip in which Trump attacks opponents as “the enemy within.”
The Baier-Harris interview surpassed the audience of other high profile political interviews this cycle.
By comparison, CNN’s interview with Harris and her running mate Tim Walz — their first since becoming the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees — drew 6.3 million viewers.
The full hour of Special Report with Bret Baier drew 6.2 million viewers and 746,000 in the 25-54 demo, its highest rated show since 2020.
Fox News also noted that the Baier-Harris interview drew 8.5 million viewers when a midnight ET replay was added.
Trump appeared earlier in the day on a town hall moderated by Harris Faulkner. That event, which had an all-female audience largely of his supporters, drew 2.9 million viewers and 338,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Tonight, Donald Trump will attend the Al Smith Dinner, a benefit for the Al Smith Foundation that is hosted by New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Harris, campaigning today in Wisconsin, is not attending, and instead will send a video message.
The event has traditionally drawn both presidential candidates in person, with each major party nominee performing a bit of comedy schtick, often self deprecating. That may be a bit incongruous to one of Harris’ closing messages this year, as she and her allies like Liz Cheney warn of the high stakes in the election. During the last in-person dinner in 2016, Hillary Clinton and Trump both appeared, but he diverged from tradition and went on campaign attack against his rival.