Vice President Kamala Harris prefers to engage in interviews with hosts who “tend not to ask” follow-up questions, according to conversations with her campaign aides reported by the New York Times on Tuesday. This preference comes after two disastrous television appearances since she joined the presidential race.
During her second interview on Friday with Brian Taff of Philadelphia’s Action News 6 ABC, Harris undermined her administration’s policies by stating they are not fit for the “twenty-first century.” Taff also inquired about how she would address lowering prices and making life more affordable for people. In response, she gave a rehearsed answer from the debate that did not specifically address the question posed to her.
The Harris campaign is looking to conduct more interviews in the future, with potential appearances on CBS News’s “60 Minutes.” However, the campaign prefers hosts who do not press Harris on her record. The Times reports that every major news network has a standing request for an interview with the Vice President.
Her team suggests she is more likely to spend time answering questions from inquisitors with smaller audiences, such as drive-time radio hosts and local evening news anchors. These interviewers are known for not asking follow-up questions when Harris sidesteps their initial queries. On Tuesday, she will be interviewed by three reporters at a gathering of the National Association of Black Journalists, a group that is likely to ask her softball questions with little to no follow-up inquiries.