The Wall Street Journal editorial board slammed Vice President Kamala Harris' strategy in her first interview as the Democratic candidate, accusing her of using a “go-to” line by bringing in her running mate, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Harris was scheduled to give her first interview since the start of the presidential campaign on Thursday night with CNN's Dana Bash, but the announcement that Waltz would be present rather than Harris doing the interview alone drew criticism from The Wall Street Journal.
“Don't you think Kamala Harris' entourage is shielding her from tough questions? Consider that for her first in-person interview with reporters this week, she brought along a go-to person: running mate Tim Walz,” the editorial board said Thursday.
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The Wall Street Journal editorial board said it was “supportive” of Vice President Kamala Harris to bring along Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the interview. (LE Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Critics have criticized Harris for eschewing tough interviews and unscripted news conferences since President Biden endorsed her candidacy, marking her 39th day on Wednesday, and her tag-team interview appearances have provided a new line of attack for her critics.
“This is a deliberate attempt to limit the Vice President's potential exposure risk,” the committee declared, adding that “the one-on-two format limits the time available for Ms. Harris to answer questions and makes it difficult for Mr. Bash to ask follow-up questions that contradict the Vice President's previous positions or to go beyond general quips and ask about tax or foreign policy details.”
He also said Walz plans to “rescue” Harris if she begins to distress during the interview.
The Wall Street Journal didn't hold back, calling the debate format “another affront by the Harris campaign to the American voter.”
He then listed the ways Harris has avoided transparency.
“The Vice President was nominated a month ago in an inside job. She is the least known presidential candidate in modern history and has received the least media attention. Her views on the key issues she will face as president are unclear, and what we do know is revealed piecemeal in campaign press statements that we must accept as her true views.”
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Harris and Walz are scheduled to appear in an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash to air Thursday night. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Conservative media figures have also slammed Harris' joint interview since it was published on Tuesday.
Federalist co-founder Sean Davis wrote on X, “Joe Biden can't get into a car or walk up a flight of stairs without an escort, and apparently Kamala Harris can't even speak to a CNN reporter alone. Embarrassing.”
Columnist Phil Karpen asked, “When will your first interview with Kamala be? Absolutely not.”
The Wall Street Journal editorial board continued: “Her strategy is to float at 40,000 feet from here until November, when we will know what her true intentions as president are — or, more accurately, what those of her advisers and those of Barack Obama's aides who are now running her campaign are.”
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The statement concluded that if the vice president's entourage “respects the voters”, they “should leave the Vice President alone to answer the questions himself”.
Fox News Digital reached out to Harris' campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
