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

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."

This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

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." 

Featured Fact-check

Threads posts

stated on November 12, 2024 in a Threads post

“It was just Biden and Trump in 2020” general election ballots.

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!