Vice President Kamala Harris' interview drought finally ended on Thursday, but 44 days after being named the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and officially nominated, she has yet to hold a formal press conference.
Pressured to give a substantive interview after weeks of stonewalling, she agreed to do so last Thursday in Georgia with CNN's Dana Bash and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Harris defended She noted policy shifts on fracking, immigration and other issues, and said her “values” have not changed. She was also asked if she regretted defending President Biden's intellectual acuity after the debate, after he dropped out of the race less than a month after the debate. She also said she wanted 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, which began in 2015.
Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first media interview since emerging as the Democratic candidate front-runner. (CNN)
Harris claims she “clarified” her position on fracking in 2020 — records tell a different story
After Harris' first sit-down interview, NBC News Washington correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, known for his glowing coverage of Biden and Harris, seemed unimpressed.
“Harris continues to say, 'my values haven't changed,' but has not explained why her position has changed,” Alcindor wrote.
As for when she'll actually hold a formal press conference, that day may never come. Sunday marked exactly six weeks since Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, from whom she quickly secured the nomination with no Democrats to challenge her.
“She won't hold a single press conference in the 75 days leading up to Election Day,” Fox News contributor Joe Concha predicted earlier this month.
Curtis Hack, editor-in-chief of NewsBusters, said the vice president “clearly has an obligation to the American people to allow journalists to hold press conferences freely.” [Thursday] Join CNN's Dana Bash for more questions.”
“You would expect a liberal journalist to be courageous and do the right thing in response to a simple question from, say, ABC or NPR,” Haq told Fox News Digital.
“The interview itself had a positive tone. From the Bash promotional video opening, CNN created the impression that this was an event, not a laborious fact-finding mission,” Haq continued. “She missed out on so many topics with Harris: allowing death row inmates to vote, closing down Immigration and Customs Enforcement, defunding the police, abolishing private insurance, women's sports, the filibuster, Jussie Smollett, Minneapolis bail funds, systemic racism… these are just a few of the topics she could have touched on.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz speak to CNN.
Former President Trump has sought to highlight the differences between the two presidents' media presence, giving several lengthy interviews and holding two news conferences in recent weeks.
Harris received mixed reviews for her appearance on Thursday's bash, where she answered most of the questions but still had support from Waltz.
In one move that earned her praise from liberals, she flatly rejected a question about Trump suggesting she didn't accept she was black until she was an adult. She called Trump's racial attacks a well-worn “tactic” and told Bash to move on to the next question.
But conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings said the Trump campaign should “salivate” at the interview's revelations that she appears to support so-called “Bidenomics.”
“She has made it clear that she accepts and will continue Biden's economic policies, his record and the record he has achieved,” he said. “She has not expressed any regret or remorse or remorse for her actions to date.”
Huckabee Sanders criticizes Harris for joint interview with Waltz: 'I can't do it 'alone''
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)
The interview brought Harris past a goal she set three weeks ago of scheduling one by the end of the month, and it remains to be seen whether pressure will mount for her to do more, and perhaps her first solo interview as a candidate.
“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.
