Former President Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have given at least 38 interviews since the Harris-Waltz coalition was formed, but each of the Democratic presidential candidates has only given one unscripted interview so far.
After weeks of refusing to speak to the media, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, ended a long interview drought when they sat down with CNN's Dana Bash in Georgia last Thursday. The highly publicized interview marked Harris' first with a journalist since well before she selected Waltz on August 6, though Trump and Vance had given interviews to a variety of outlets during that time.
Since Aug. 6, Trump has spoken with Fox News' “Life Liberty and Levin” host Mark Levin, NBC News, the Daily Mail, Dr. Phil, Fox News' Alicia Acuña, Hugh Hewitt Radio, Fox Business, podcaster Theo Fong, the New York Post, WBRE News Wilkes-Barre, WLOS News 13 Asheville, Univision and twice on “Fox & Friends.” He also made at least two other cable news appearances, including an extended conversation with supporter Elon Musk, according to a Fox News Digital review.
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Former President Trump and his running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, have a different media strategy than Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz. (Tom Williams/Rachel Jessen/Erin Shaff/Andrew Harnick/Emily Elconin/Getty Images)
The former president also spoke with podcaster Rex Friedman in an interview posted Tuesday and on a New Hampshire radio show Wednesday, before holding a town hall meeting with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Vance, who has criticized Harris for shying away from the press, has appeared during that same period on Fox & Friends, CNN's John Berman, WBAY 2, News 5 Cleveland, NBC News, Meet the Press, No Spin News, WALB 10, the CBS Evening News, The Brett Winterble Show, Jesse Watters Primetime, Fox News Sunday, The Dan O'Donnell Show, ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation and CNN's State of the Union.
Vance also appeared on Fox News' “The Ingraham Angle” on Tuesday.
Caroline Leavitt, a national spokesperson for the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital, “Kamala Harris has not given a single interview or published a single policy proposal on her website because she is unable to explain her record of creating an economy that the American people cannot afford, open borders that bring crime to every community, and weakness that has caused chaos and war around the world.”
Levitt added, “President Trump and Senator Vance are respectful enough to let voters know where they stand, which is why they have been traveling the country, maintaining an active campaign schedule and giving numerous interviews. It's clearer than ever that President Trump has the message, the enthusiasm, the ground work and the money needed to win the election on November 5th.”
Vance stands in contrast to Walz, who was widely criticized at the Minnesota State Fair on Monday for walking away from reporters who asked questions about the six Hamas hostages recently killed in Gaza.
In her only interview, Ms. Harris said her “values” haven't changed, even as she defended some well-known policy shifts on fracking and immigration. She was also asked if she regretted staunchly defending Biden's intellectual ability after his debate debacle and after Biden dropped out of the race just a month later.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are the only Democratic candidates to be interviewed. (CNN)
Conservatives criticized Harris for keeping Waltz by her side, as many voters wanted to know how she would handle tough issues without him.
Political observers were curious to see how Harris would fare in the spotlight after she stumbled in previous interviews. In 2021, she memorably botched an attempt to defend the Biden-Harris administration's border policy in an interview with NBC's Lester Holt.
Asked about her failure to visit the Mexican border, Harris said, “I've never been to Europe so I don't understand what you're talking about. I'm not downplaying the importance of the border.”
Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference since emerging as the Democratic candidate.
Former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, have given at least 34 interviews since the Harris-Waltz coalition was formed. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris has not held a formal press conference since replacing President Biden as the Democratic nominee, opting instead to hold brief, few-minute “briefings” or informal meetings with reporters on her campaign plane.
In a press conference that received mixed reviews, President Trump spoke for a total of 65 minutes and answered questions at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago last month, then spoke for another 83 minutes in Bedminster the following week.
It's unclear whether Harris will give interviews without Waltz or hold a press conference before Election Day. Trump and Harris are scheduled to face off in a Sept. 10 debate hosted by ABC News.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Fox News Digital's David Rutz contributed to this report.
