David Axelrod, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, argued on CNN this week that Vice President Kamala Harris needs to give more media interviews in the remaining weeks of the presidential campaign.
During an appearance on CNN's “Inside Politics” on Friday, Axelrod told host Casey Hunt that he agreed with the Harris campaign's recent assessment that Harris should give media interviews “as much as possible” before Nov. 5.
“I'm going to be out in force in this region, especially in battleground states, appearing on local TV and radio stations. I'm going to be ubiquitous,” Axelrod said.
Harris changes key position on border and illegal immigration, promising 'pragmatic' approach on campaign trail
David Axelrod, a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, urged Vice President Kamala Harris to do as many interviews as possible before Election Day.
Much of the criticism of Harris' presidential campaign, coming from both her political opponents and the mainstream media, has been that she has been reluctant to give unscripted interviews or press conferences since running for President Biden.
As of Thursday, Harris and her lieutenant governor, Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, had conducted a combined 15 interviews.sMeanwhile, former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have voted a combined 55 times.
In response to widespread criticism of the issue, Brian Fallon, a senior communications adviser to the Harris campaign, said on a Politico podcast: Interview of the Week He said people should be reassured about Harris' media appearances and assured media that she would make as many media appearances as possible in the coming weeks.
“People shouldn't read too much into what some are saying about the lack of interviews or the lack of interviews in the first six or so weeks of the campaign,” he said.
“There's been a lot of work to do over the first seven weeks, but in the remaining weeks of the campaign it's a strategic imperative to be on the ground and everywhere possible,” Fallon added.
Harris tells Oprah that “anyone who breaks into my house will be shot” – “I probably shouldn't have said that”
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attends a debate hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 17, 2024. (Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Hunt asked Axelrod for his opinion on Fallon's comments, and Axelrod agreed with them and said Harris should do as many interviews as she can in the time she has left.
“Yes, you're right. I think she should try harder. This is the most thorough oral exam of any job on Earth, the most important job on Earth, and part of it is unscripted interactions, answering questions. People want to see how you respond to this, and that's part of how they judge you,” he said.
An adviser to former President Barack Obama praised Harris' performance in interviews so far, saying, “She's done very well so far, but I think it's important to do a little more.”
He also assured the campaign that more interviews would definitely help, saying, “There's something to be gained from actually doing the interviews.”
Click here to get the FOX News app
