Since Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz emerged as the Democratic nominees, former President Trump has answered at least 81 questions from reporters, while Harris has only answered a few and Waltz has not answered any questions at all.
Aside from questions posed by an MSNBC reporter about the debate and two by reporters in Michigan and Arizona, Harris has not officially answered questions from reporters, totaling just 14, according to a Fox News Digital review. Harris has also not given formal interviews, but said she hopes to schedule one by the end of the month.
Waltz did the same during the same period, but Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, answered dozens of questions in three national interviews and multiple news conferences.
Since Aug. 6, when Waltz joined Harris’ campaign, Trump has answered dozens of questions in two lengthy press conferences, an extended appearance on Fox & Friends and a two-hour conversation with supporter and X owner Elon Musk.
25th: Kamala Harris has not held a press conference since emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump have taken different paths when it comes to media exposure. (Getty Images)
Trump answered at least 35 questions during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago last week. An additional 16 people attended Thursday’s event in Bedminster.
The former president promoted his message on the economy in a recent speech, standing next to a table filled with everyday items and highlighting rising prices under the Biden-Harris administration.
Trump received 16 additional direct questions from Musk during the conversation, which also featured lengthy, candid answers that were born out of the X businessman’s comments, not necessarily from a specific question. In one particularly controversial moment, Trump praised Musk as the “greatest firer,” likely a reference to the mass layoffs Musk instituted when he bought Twitter (now renamed X).
Even counting the amount of time Trump and Harris spent answering questions, the difference in their access to the press is stark.
CNN’s Casey Hunt questions why Harris is hosting a campaign event alongside Biden: “It makes me feel uncomfortable”
Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
On August 7, Trump appeared on “Fox & Friends” for 28 minutes, answering 14 questions from the host and South Dakota voters, and discussing issues including his selection of Walz as Harris’ running mate, inflation and Social Security.
During last week’s Mar-a-Lago press conference, he spoke and answered questions for a total of 65 minutes, then spoke with Musk for about two hours on Monday and another 83 minutes in Bedminster, for a total of 4 hours and 56 minutes.
Meanwhile, Harris has answered roughly 14 questions for a total of three minutes since August 6.
Harris’s avoidance of reporters has become so blatant that CNN’s Jim Acosta recently asked a campaign spokesperson whether holding a press conference would be “deadly for you.”
CNN host asks media-shy Harris Camp: “Will holding a press conference kill me?”
Vance has criticized Harris for shying away from the press and called on the media to press her to answer tough questions. Harris’ actions and words on Sunday in appearances on ABC’s “This Week,” CBS’ “Face the Nation” and CNN’s “State of the Union” were hardly friendly interviews.
In his interviews, Vance answered at least 16 questions from ABC’s Jonathan Karl, 27 from CBS’ Margaret Brennan and 20 from CNN’s Dana Bash. All of the interviews also included a number of statements and opinions that prompted Vance to voice his opinions on additional topics that were not necessarily asked by the journalists.
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Additionally, Vance held rallies and press conferences during stops in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan during that time.
The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
