According to Politico Playbook, mainstream media reporters are apparently giving guidance to the Harris campaign on who should conduct Vice President Kamala Harris' first interview since entering the presidential race.
The collusion underscores Ms. Harris's collaboration with allies in the media who should be asking tough questions and holding candidates accountable.
WATCH — Harris senior adviser Bottoms: Voters don't care if Kamala is interviewed:
But the media appears to be warming to Harris' candidacy: A Media Research Center survey last week found that networks have given her 84% “positive coverage” since she began running for president, compared with 89% negative coverage of former President Donald Trump.
Media have not interviewed Harris on television since June 24, and reporters last asked her questions at a solo press conference eight months ago, on Dec. 2, 2023. Harris has not held an unscripted press conference or unscripted sit-down interview about policy solutions in the 37 days since she began her presidential bid.
Axios reported Monday that Harris is set to give interviews this week as part of a post-Labor Day campaign ramp-up, but questions remain over who she will choose to host the interviews. “Harris campaign staff have been asking reporters who they think Harris should talk to,” Playbook reported. Reported On Tuesday, Harris said “race and gender” were key criteria in choosing a host.
WATCH — Democratic strategist Lozinski: Harris not giving interviews is “self-defeating,” she should do it Local reports:
While Harris continues to campaign without strong pressure to do unscripted interviews, there appears to be an internal campaign battle over the purpose of her first interview. According to Playbook, Harris doesn't think it should be short, “big,” “flashy,” or “with a big-name news anchor who's going to press her on the issues.”
Ashley Etienne, a former communications adviser to Harris, believes the interview should distance her from President Joe Biden on certain issues. “She should substantively differ with Biden on some policy issues,” Etienne told Playbook.
Harris has played a two-pronged role in her campaign, claiming some of the Biden-Harris administration's accomplishments as her own while simultaneously positioning Trump as the incumbent. This contradiction has led to Trump as the candidate being mispositioned on three things that have happened under the Biden-Harris administration: a surge in immigrant crime, soaring inflation and the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal.
This contradiction stems from the media's inability to ignore the “dilemma” inherent in Harris' candidacy: Harris cannot campaign on policies that improve crime, inflation, and border security, which would weaken the Biden-Harris Administration's claim to address these key issues, but she must tout the success of the Administration's policies to justify her own record and her candidacy.
Wendell Fsebo is a political reporter for Breitbart News and a former war room analyst for the Republican National Committee. He is the author of: The Politics of Slave MoralityFollow Wendell “X” @WendellHusebø or The truth of society @WendellHusebo.
