Vice President Kamala Harris has been dodging tough interviews ever since she became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, and the press appears to be getting sick of it.
The vice president has participated in very few interviews since receiving the nomination, and each of them has been friendly. Even then, she could not even handle the most softball of questions. On multiple occasions, she completely bombed, which explains why her team has been hesitant to put her in front of cameras.
During a recent appearance on MSNBC, journalist Andrea Mitchell argued that Harris needs to do “more interviews and serious interviews” because she is losing support among men.
“I think they’ve got to double down on doing more interviews and serious interviews because what I’m hearing from Democratic and Republican business people and a lot of men, and she’s got such a big problem with men. I think there’s an undercount of the Trump vote. I think there is misogyny in all of this, black and white men. Big problem, but also the business world. They don’t think she is serious. They don’t think she’s a heavyweight. A lot of this is gender, but she’s got to be more specific about her economic plan.”
It appears that Team Harris understands the assignment. She will be doing more interviews over the next week, according to The New York Times. She will be participating in a series of interviews on popular television and radio platforms as the campaign heads into the final stretch before Election Day.
Harris is set to appear on “The View,” Howard Stern’s radio show, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” among others. Of course, you might already see what each of these shows have in common, right? They are all media outlets that are friendly to Democrats. The vice president is avoiding any media that might actually press her on her record or ask more challenging questions.
The article notes Harris’ recent appearances with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, one of the vice president’s most enthusiastic shills. Both Stern and Colbert have already endorsed her or President Joe Biden.
Likewise, many of those interviewing Ms. Harris this week have openly backed either her or Mr. Biden.
Mr. Colbert hosted fund-raisers for Mr. Biden in 2020 and again this year. Mr. Stern endorsed Mr. Biden in 2020 and hosted him for a warm interview in April.
Mr. Walz will appear on Tuesday on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Mr. Kimmel last month endorsed Ms. Harris for president.
Ms. Harris’s campaign had already announced that she and Mr. Walz would appear in an interview with the CBS News program “60 Minutes” that is set to air on Monday night. The campaign had also said that Ms. Harris would participate on Thursday in a Univision town-hall event in Las Vegas.
The vice president has also recorded an interview on Call Her Daddy, a popular podcast about sex, dating and relationships. The interview, which focuses on abortion rights and other women’s issues, is set to be released on Sunday evening.
Harris’ focus on non-traditional media shows that her team understands that establishment media outlets are no longer the primary sources of news for many voters.
“Her campaign, like that of former President Donald J. Trump, believes that the traditional strategy of interviews with broadcast networks and national newspapers is outdated and not worth the accompanying risks,” the report notes.
Of course, Mitchell is right. Harris was never going to be able to avoid the media forever. Polling shows that she and former President Donald Trump are nearly neck and neck, with the latest RealClearPolling average putting her only two points above her opponent.
At this point, it is too risky for Harris not to speak with the press. However, speaking only to friendly reporters is not unpredictable. This is the best way to put her best foot forward in the lead-up to the election without completely wrecking herself on camera.
Still, given Harris’ propensity for gaffes and word salads, even the most friendly of interviews might not be enough to save her.
