Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and now the official candidate, has gone 51 days without holding a formal press conference.
She now faces her biggest test since running: a debate with former President Trump.
After weeks of stonewalling, and under pressure to do a substantive interview, Harris finally ended her interview drought last month, sitting down with running mate Tim Walz for a pre-taped interview with CNN's Dana Bash in Georgia last Thursday that was far from a traditional press conference.
“Anyone who wants to lead the free world has to be able to handle questions from the press,” conservative influencer Tim Young told Fox News Digital. “If Kamala can't handle real questions from the press, there's no way she'll be able to handle negotiating with foreign leaders.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first media interview since emerging as the front-runner in the Democratic field. (CNN)
During an interview with CNN, Harris defended She noted policy shifts on issues like fracking and immigration, and said her “values” have not changed. She was also asked if she regretted defending Biden's intellectual acuity after the debate, after he dropped out of the race less than a month after the debate. She added that she wants to turn the page, saying, “I believe the last decade has been antithetical to the very soul of our country.”
Bash pointed out that Harris served as vice president for three and a half years of those years, but Harris countered that he was talking about ending an “era” and moving on, seemingly referring to the political rise of Donald Trump that began in 2015.
Entrepreneur Sean Meeky He objected to Waltz accompanying him to the CNN interview.
“CEOs aren't saying, 'Hey, look, I'm going to interview you, but I need to bring somebody along. I'm definitely not qualified to do this on my own,'” Miecki told Fox News Digital.
“You want to be the leader of the free world and you can't even do an interview yourself? I find that insulting,” he continued. “As Americans, we want answers and we have a right to answers.”
Harris also appeared in two pre-recorded radio interviews that aired last week, on Friday and Monday.
As for when she will actually hold a formal press conference, that day may never come, at least not while she is still a candidate.
Jorge Bonilla, a host on the conservative Radio Libre, said he believes Harris should hold a press conference but that it is largely “irrelevant” because Harris continues to have immunity.
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“It is highly unlikely that she will ever hold a press conference because the media has tolerated and encouraged her 'plexiglass basement' strategy, where she maintains the illusion of being present at a press conference while being totally inaccessible to reporters and therefore unaccountable,” Bonilla told Fox News Digital.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz speak to CNN.
Meeky believes this approach is “disrespectful” to Americans.
“As a businessman, I couldn't imagine the company going in the wrong direction, so I, or other leaders, said, 'Hey, what do you think? I'm not going to talk to anybody. I'm not going to take any questions,'” Mieke said.
“I don't think anyone is going to ask Harris anything other than easy questions at a press conference,” he added. “I think she's going to continue to avoid anything remotely confrontational.”
Trump has sought to highlight the differences in the two men's media capabilities, giving several lengthy interviews in recent weeks and holding two news conferences last month.
Harris received mixed reviews for her appearance at the bash, where she answered most of the questions but still had Waltz's support.
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Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a visit to Sandfly BBQ in Savannah, Georgia, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin) (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
“My concern is that because Bash is not the type of person who drools over Barack Obama the way, say, CBS' Steve Kroft or NPR's Steve Inskeep are, the liberal media will argue that this debate and the upcoming ABC debate are enough interview time for the campaign,” Haq said.
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Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
