Vice President Kamala Harris plans to sit for an interview this week, according to a report from Axios. The interview comes as part of her campaign’s increased efforts in the lead-up to the post-Labor Day push. This will be the first unscripted press conference or sit-down interview about policy solutions that Kamala Harris has given since joining the presidential race 36 days ago.
Harris was last interviewed on television on June 24, 2024, and her last solo news conference attended by the press occurred eight months ago on December 2, 2023. The reasons for her media avoidance may be twofold: firstly, there are concerns within the Harris campaign that her likability and ability to talk off-the-cuff about policy without making a damaging mistake may be issues. As an example, here is a collection of some of Harris’s verbal stumbles.
Secondly, the Harris campaign finds itself in a “catch-22” situation. Speaking about policies to address crime, inflation, and border security would undermine the Biden-Harris administration’s claim that these issues have been resolved. However, for her candidacy and record to remain validated, she needs to highlight the administration’s policy successes.
There is still much unknown regarding the details of this potential interview. Axios reported that Harris would “sit for her first interview as a presidential candidate and ramp up preparations for her Sept. 10 debate against Trump.” Politico Playbook speculated on which media member the campaign might choose to conduct the interview.
Already we’re hearing chatter about who she will choose to conduct the interview: a known friendly face who she can expect will take it easy on her? Or, in a bid to erase memories of her rocky LESTER HOLT interview in 2021, a member of a vaunted legacy media outlet who will give her a tougher grilling? Place your bets. We should find out in days.
Harris’s increased campaign efforts also include a bus tour through southern Georgia, a sunbelt swing state where Trump continues to hold a strong lead. Seven states – Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina – are expected by political experts to decide the outcome of the presidential election.
Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is also the author of Politics of Slave Morality. You can follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.