Vice President Kamala Harris has now surpassed 100 days as the official Democratic presidential nominee without holding a formal press conference.
Since early August, former President Donald Trump has conducted at least six news conferences where he fielded questions from reporters. In contrast, Harris has only engaged in brief, informal interactions with the press while campaigning. For instance, on Monday, she spoke to reporters and criticized the tone and language used during Trump’s recent rally in New York City.
Too many interviews but no press conference
On Tuesday, Harris delivered a speech in Washington, D.C., outlining her vision for the U.S. and differentiating her plans from what she described as Trump’s divisive and extreme perspective. Earlier in the month, she broke her streak of avoiding Fox News by participating in an interview in Pennsylvania with chief political anchor Bret Baier. Harris also appeared in a CNN town hall and conducted interviews with NBC News, Telemundo, and CBS last week, in addition to several podcasts and local news outlets this week. She has increased her media presence recently with appearances on radio, “The View,” Stephen Colbert, and Howard Stern, among others.
Will Harris hold a formal press conference?
However, there’s little indication that Harris will hold a formal press conference during her candidacy.
Conservative host Jorge Bonilla from Radio Libre has commented on Harris’s media approach, expressing that while he believes she should hold a press conference, he considers it “almost irrelevant” due to what he sees as leniency from the media. He suggests that Harris’s strategy allows her to project an accessible image while avoiding substantial press scrutiny.
While Trump has also bypassed some interviews lately, he did make an appearance at the Al Smith Dinner, an event where presidential candidates traditionally engage in light-hearted roasts. Harris chose to send a video message rather than attend in person.
This month, Harris’s interview on “60 Minutes” stirred controversy due to editing decisions. In a preview aired on October 6, CBS showcased a portion of her response to a question on Israel; however, a different segment of her answer was shown in the full broadcast on October 7.
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