Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be on CNN for their first joint interview Thursday—marking what will be Harris’ first major sit-down interview since President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid.
Vice President Kamala Harris has largely avoided questions from the media since President Joe Biden ... [+]
Dana Bash will interview Harris and Walz in Georgia and it will air Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT, according to the network.
Harris has answered some shouted questions from reporters in recent weeks and was interviewed by three content creators at the Democratic National Convention last week, CNN reported, but has largely avoided the media since taking over the Democratic ticket.
Harris’ lack of formal interviews has become a frequent criticism of hers from her opponents—former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who have held a number of press conferences recently—and other Republicans.
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In early August, Harris told reporters she wanted to have an “interview scheduled before the end of the month,” but before Tuesday nothing had materialized, leading to numerous think pieces and op-eds pondering about why she was avoiding the media. On Tuesday morning, The New York Times published an article that listed 21 questions for the vice president compiled by reporters and noted she hadn’t had a town hall or extended interview in weeks. Harris’ lack of interviews have been a key point of criticism from Trump and Vance, the latter of whom said earlier this month that it was “really disgraceful” to have a nominee who “refuses to take a single question from the American media.” Trump, meanwhile, attacked Harrisat his own press conferences for her lack of interviews, saying at one earlier this month that she “doesn’t know how to do a news conference” and is “not smart enough to do a news conference.”
Harris hosted one press gaggle, or unscripted question-and-answer session, in early August after a Michigan rally and it lasted just 70 seconds, The New York Times reported.
Trump confirmed Tuesday he will debate Harris on Sept. 10 on ABC News. The former president suggested last week he would not attend the debate amid a feud between the campaigns over what the rules would be. Trump said Tuesday the rules will be the same as they were during CNN’s June 27 debate, during which there was no live audience and microphones were muted when the candidates weren't speaking.