NBC News' Chuck Todd warned that Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign's aversion to speaking to media since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee was a "big mistake."
Todd made his remarks during a Wednesday broadcast on the network.
“Let me start with the first big mistake of the Harris campaign since she took over as the Democratic nominee. They have now raised the stakes for her first sit-down interview,” Todd wrote, noting Harris' remarks during her Thursday CNN interview would be placed under a magnifying glass because she has avoided speaking with media in the past month.
“More words and phrases will get scrutinized simply because the campaign and the candidate are behaving as if doing these interviews is about as interesting to them as visiting the dentist’s office,” he added.
Former President Donald Trump has performed exactly the opposite, per Todd's assessment, as Trump appears to have embraced the adage that "all publicity is good publicity." Chuck Todd warns the Kamala Harris campaign that by avoiding interviews, she is raising the stakes and increasing the level of scrutiny:
Chuck Todd: "Her campaign has now raised the stakes for her first one or two sitdown interviews. More words and phrases will get scrutinized… pic.twitter.com/eKUFnoeCmc
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) August 28, 2024
“I know many Democrats have an allergy to all things Trump, but the one thing I thought more candidates would learn from his initial campaign in 2016 is that he viewed all media as good for him, whether he thought the interviewer was a friendly, a neutral or an opponent,” Todd said. “When he said something outrageous or controversial during one sit-down, he’d do something entirely newsy (and just as notable) in another that would essentially dilute the impact of all of his interviews.”
Harris and Trump have agreed to debate on Sept. 10 with ABC News, though the terms have not been finalized, Harris' campaign said earlier this week.
“Both candidates have publicly made clear their willingness to debate with unmuted mics for the duration of the debate to fully allow for substantive exchanges between the candidates – but it appears Donald Trump is letting his handlers overrule him. Sad!” Harris' campaign wrote in a statement to Reuters.
Harris' first interview with media since replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president will premiere this evening. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will appear with Harris in the pre-taped interview with CNN's Dana Bash.
