Fox News guest says Kamala Harris only got her immigration role 'because she has brown skin'

• A Fox News guest said Wednesday that VP Kamala Harris' race is why she's taking on immigration.
• "President Biden is trying to inoculate himself against attacks" by using "someone brown," he said.
• The White House says Harris handled immigration issues during six years as California's attorney general.

Autry Pruitt, a former Texas congressional candidate, accused President Joe Biden on Wednesday of only appointing Vice President Kamala Harris to handle the historic influx of unaccompanied migrant children at the border because of her race.

The CEO of the New Journey PAC explicitly said on "Fox & Friends" that Harris only got tapped to handle the surge "because she has brown skin."

"Vice President Harris's appointment was simply because she has brown skin," Pruitt told host Ainsley Earhardt, who did not push back on the claim.

"President Biden is trying to inoculate himself against attacks after all of the images have come out, after all the mistreatment of kids at this border, after the surge - he needs someone brown so he can ward off criticism," he continued.

Fox News did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Pruitt is not a paid contributor with the network. He campaigned for Trump in 2016 and authored the book "Planes, Steak & Water: Defending Donald J. Trump."

Despite the White House citing Harris's experience dealing with immigration during her six years as California's attorney general, Pruitt went on to say he has no idea what her qualifications are.

"What other reason is there?" Pruitt said. "Is she some kind of border expert? Has she spent years at the border? She won't even go to the border."

Aside from a heavy focus on cancel culture, the influx of unaccompanied minors has been one of the biggest stories on Fox over the past few weeks.

While immigration experts have pointed to historic patterns of greater migration during the late winter and early spring, the Biden White House has come under increasing scrutiny over how it's trying to handle the highest rate of border arrests in 15 years.

"This new surge we are dealing with now started in the past administration, but it is our responsibility" to deal with it now, Biden said when announcing Harris' new role.

"I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," Biden said.