Voters may get an interview with Vice President Kamala by the end of August.
Harris's presidential campaign entered its third week without the presumptive Democratic nominee taking part in a direct interview with the press. Harris now says the wait for direct communication is almost over.
“I’ve talked to my team. I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month,” Harris told the press on Thursday evening, per The Hill.
Harris is in the middle of a multi-state tour with her newly announced vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The pair is slated to appear at a rally in Arizona on Friday.
Harris has not done a major interview since she appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on June 24. She was joined by Hadley Duvall, an abortion rights advocate who became pregnant at 12 after being raped by her stepfather. Duvall ultimately miscarried. Harris said she decided “at a young age” that she “wanted to do the work that was about protecting women and children.” She said that decision influenced her to become a prosecutor who specialized in child sexual assault.
Harris criticized abortion bans that do not include an exception for pregnancy conceived through rape or incest and pointed blame at former President Donald Trump.
“Let’s really be clear about how we got her,” said Harris. “The former president hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. And they did exactly as he intended. And in state after state, we are seeing what I call ‘Trump abortion bans.’”
The vice president is, in some regards, following in the footsteps of President Joe Biden. The incumbent Democrat has given very few interviews during the last three and a half years.
In June of 2022, The Guardian noted Biden had done “far fewer interviews from his predecessors” and was risking “losing the public’s trust and reporters’ goodwill.” Between January 20, 2021 and April 29 of 2022, Biden had given 23 interviews. In contrast, between January 20, 2017 and April 29, 2018, Trump gave 95 interviews. During similar periods, President Barack Obama gave 187 interviews, President George W. Bush gave 60, President Bill Clinton gave 64, President George H. W. Bush gave 70 and President Ronald Regan gave 78.
Biden, “who promised to rebuild trust and transparency after Donald Trump’s adversarial tenure, is facing criticism as Sunday marks 116 days since his last press interview,” the outlet observed on June 2. “As he approaches 18 months in office, a president eager to get his message out has settled into certain rhythms and comfort zones while sidestepping, to the frustration of the White House press corps, some traditional forums.”
Harris, who became her party’s nominee after Biden ended his bid for reelection, has agreed to take part in at least one September debate.
