Harris and Walz to Face First Joint Interview of the Presidential Campaign
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic candidates for president and vice president, have agreed to participate in their first joint interview of the campaign. The interview, which will be conducted by CNN in Georgia, is scheduled to air on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 a.m. BST).
This interview marks the first extensive, on-the-record discussion with the media since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Harris as his successor over five weeks ago. Since Harris took the lead on the Democratic ticket, she has faced criticism from Republicans for seemingly avoiding the press, with accusations that she is not being transparent about her plans for the presidency.
The upcoming interview will serve as a critical test for Harris and Walz as running mates and is a chance to address these criticisms. It also honors Harris’s commitment to have a sit-down interview before the month’s end. The interview comes on the heels of their prominent appearances at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a polished event with high production values and star-studded speeches. After the interview, Harris will embark on a bus tour through Georgia, a key battleground state.
With just 70 days left until the election, this interview will be one of the few chances for voters across the country to hear detailed policy positions from the Harris-Walz campaign. Both Republicans and members of the media have been vocal about the campaign’s limited number of concrete policy proposals and press engagements during Harris’s shortened and unconventional presidential run. This has exposed her campaign to criticism from her opponents.
Former President Donald Trump, during a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago, mocked Harris, claiming she “can’t do an interview” and is “barely competent.” Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, has also criticized Harris for avoiding the press, calling her strategy of evading reporters instead of answering tough questions “shameful.” Vance has often pointed out that both he and Trump have repeatedly engaged with the media, even when facing “hostile questions.”
So far, Harris’s campaign has largely benefited from positive momentum, avoiding the kinds of mistakes and controversies that have plagued the Republican ticket. This cautious approach might be intentional, as Harris had a few difficult moments with the press during her first two years as vice president. A particularly challenging interview with NBC’s Lester Holt in 2021, focused on immigration and the southern U.S. border, seemed to contribute to her limited media engagement afterward.
It remains uncertain how this interview will impact Harris’s campaign. However, several national polls show her leading Trump as the November election approaches. A poll conducted by Farleigh Dickinson University last week showed Harris leading Trump by seven percentage points, 50% to 43%. This represents a significant shift for the Democrats, who had been trailing Republicans in several races when Biden was the nominee. Polls often showed Biden falling behind Trump by several points as well.
