Journalist Mark Halperin has offered a scathing critique of Vice President Kamala Harris' first interview since emerging as the Democratic nominee, calling it a “journalistic disaster.”
Halperin called the highly anticipated interview a flop, saying Harris only gave a decent performance because CNN's Dana Bash was too soft on her.
“Kamala Harris responded well, but the questions were not good enough, and it was mostly good enough. The questions were sweet. There was little or sweet follow-up. Topics were brought up that shouldn't have been brought up. The content was just too boring,” Halperin said Friday during a livestream on his media platform, 2WAY.
“The bumper ads and teaser ads were just promotion for the campaign,” he added.
CNN's Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz interview can be summed up in just two words
Vice President Kamala Harris raised some eyebrows when she told CNN's Dana Bash that while her policy positions have changed, her “values haven't changed.” (Screenshot/CNN)
Vice President Harris spoke to CNN's Bash on Thursday after nearly 40 days without a formal interview since emerging as the Democratic front-runner. Ms. Harris defended her role in the Biden administration, saying “my values haven't changed” when asked why she was abandoning many of the left-wing policies she ill-fatedly supported during her 2020 Democratic nomination run.
Halperin said he was impressed with Harris but reiterated that throughout the interview he missed opportunities to question the candidate about questions that voters care about.
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“People say she's good enough and they were right. Her language was minimal and her tone was good. She exuded confidence being interviewed by people close to her,” he said.
“I don't think it was a big deal. I don't know how many interviews she's going to give in the future, but I think it was a disaster for journalism. And [it was] “This is the first and only real interview she's going to have before the debate and probably for the foreseeable future, because I think she's got permission to talk about Jen Psaki and the cast of The White House and so on,” he continued, referring to the MSNBC host.
Rep. says Harris interview proves why Americans have 'trust issues' with VP, slams CNN for not following up
“I think it's a great shame because it accomplished very little to give the American people an understanding of what kind of president she would be,” the journalist lamented.
CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Savannah, Georgia on Thursday, August 29. (AP/Stephen B. Morton)
Halperin wasn't the only one to criticize the department for being too lenient with Harris on Friday.
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pennsylvania, told CNN on Friday that Harris “could have averted a catastrophe” in her initial interview, but that Bash failed to hold Harris accountable in follow-up questions.
However, liberal media outlets The New York Times and The Pointer praised Bash for having a “good night.”
“It was a good night for everyone involved – Bash, Harris and Waltz. Let me put it this way: everyone came through unscathed. Bash shouldn't be accused of being, pardon the pun, too soft or unfair. Harris was smooth and strong…. All in all, it was a respectable night that began with Bash handling a big task professionally and admirably,” Pointer's Tom Jones said in a Pointer editorial.
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“Still, the veteran journalist had a good night,” praised The New York Times, “delivering one of the most high-profile interviews of her career, addressing each of the biggest questions looming over Ms. Harris as a young candidate, including what specific agenda she plans to pursue and why she hasn't acted on some of her suggestions while she was vice president.”
