Vice President Kamala Harris is set to schedule her first interview since joining the presidential race 18 days ago by the end of August, according to statements made on Thursday during an event in Michigan. Although it remains uncertain whether the interview will take place before the end of the month or within the last three weeks of August, the announcement signals a possible change in communication strategy for the Democratic nominee.
Harris has not given a single unscripted press conference since her entry into the race and may continue to avoid unplanned interactions with the media until Labor Day, 25 days away. A longtime Harris ally told Politico’s West Wing Playbook on Wednesday that she might delay engaging with the press until late August.
During her Michigan event, Harris said, “I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month.” This announcement follows former President Donald Trump mocking her apparent strategy of avoiding unscripted interviews during a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago. Trump questioned whether Harris can handle a news conference and challenged her to participate in three debates, to which she agreed to one but remained silent on whether she would take part in the other two.
Harris’ reluctance to engage with the media may stem from concerns over answering questions about her radical-left policies, as well as an apparent habit of making gaffes during off-script moments. In August alone, she accidentally referred to herself as “president” during a eulogy for late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and delivered a word salad while discussing a potential hostage deal with Russia.