On Thursday, US Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Walz will be interviewed by CNN, marking Harris’s first media interview since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate. The interview will take place in Savannah, Georgia, with CNN anchor Dana Bash at 9:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, August 29.
Harris and Walz will kick off a bus tour in Georgia, a key battleground state, as part of this week’s campaign activities. Following President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race on July 21, Harris took over as the Democratic presidential candidate. However, she has faced criticism from Republicans for avoiding media interviews since entering the race.
On Tuesday, the Trump campaign team responded to the news, noting that the CNN interview was a joint effort and stating that Harris “lacks the ability to handle interviews independently”.
Republican figures, including former President Donald Trump and Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance, have repeatedly criticized Harris for avoiding media interviews, accusing her of leaving voters in the dark about her presidential plans.
As of August 27, Harris’s website still lacked specific policy positions, with many of her proposals being introduced during speeches or when staff answered media inquiries. Her recent proposals include women’s abortion and reproductive rights, gun control, voting rights, immigration reform, border security, middle-class tax cuts and child tax credits, prohibiting price gouging, and affordable housing plans.
For Harris, the CNN interview could be an opportunity to address concerns about her perceived lack of ability to handle challenging situations. However, it also carries risks as her team aims to capitalize on the momentum from the Democratic National Convention.
During her more than three years as Vice President, Harris has been interviewed by numerous media outlets such as the Associated Press, often more frequently than Biden. Each time she travels, she interacts with reporters onboard Air Force Two before takeoff, although her office insists that these conversations are off the record and cannot be recorded or publicly disclosed.
Earlier this month, Harris told reporters that she hoped to have her first official interview before the end of August. Her campaign team also announced active preparations for the first presidential debate against Republican opponent Trump, scheduled to be hosted by ABC on September 10 in Philadelphia.
(References to related reports from the Associated Press were incorporated into this article)