Vice President Kamala Harris has not convened a formal press conference for 15 days since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as of Sunday.
Following President Biden’s endorsement on July 21, which led him to withdraw from the race, Harris effectively became the de facto nominee. She officially secured the nomination on Friday. While she has actively campaigned, spoken at numerous events, and spoken informally to reporters, she has not conducted any formal press conferences or extensive interviews during this period.
Moreover, she missed the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where former President Trump captured attention with an intense Q&A session, although she may still plan to make an appearance with the group in the future. On Thursday, she addressed reporters briefly at Joint Base Andrews while welcoming Americans freed from Russia in a significant prisoner swap, which included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
As she approaches the decision on her running mate for the upcoming election against former President Trump, she continues to be notably absent from formal discourse.
Her elusiveness has prompted The New York Times to publish excerpts from an interview she gave last year to analyze how her responses resonate today.
KAMALA HARRIS SUPPORTERS UNSURE WHEN ASKED ABOUT VP’S POLICY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 14 days without holding a press conference since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A broad spectrum of the Democratic Party—including governors, senators, House members, and party leaders—quickly united behind Harris after Biden’s announcement. However, critics have begun to remark on the fact that Harris hasn’t faced challenging questions since that time.
National Review senior writer Noah Rothman inquired on social media on Wednesday, “When is Kamala Harris going to hold a press conference?”
“The most revealing scrutiny a candidate can undergo is a prolonged press conference—and that’s precisely what Harris needs. Indeed, we know that’s what she must do because just a few weeks ago, Democratic political strategists insisted Biden needed to do this,” he stated in National Review.
HOW LONG WILL THE KAMALA HARRIS HONEYMOON IN THE POLLS AGAINST DONALD TRUMP LAST?
NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham anticipates she will mirror President Biden’s approach from the 2020 campaign, where he was accused of retreating into his basement during the pandemic.
“Kamala Harris should certainly hold a press conference. One would expect this when she announces her vice-presidential selection. But we cannot expect her to diverge from Biden’s pattern of sidestepping press conferences,” Graham told Fox News Digital.
“Since the 2020 campaign, we have seen the odd sight of Donald Trump granting extensive access to networks while he faces constant criticism, while Biden and Harris shy away from interviews with media outlets that praise them and their ‘historic accomplishments,'” he continued. “It appears they either believe the press can never be sufficiently servile or are exhibiting a complete lack of confidence in articulating their thoughts coherently.”
THE STATE OF THE RACE WITH 100 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE NOVEMBER ELECTION
Critics have pointed out that Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference since President Biden concluded his re-election campaign. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
DePauw University media studies professor Jeffrey McCall contends that the Harris campaign is “fully aware that Biden evaded the media throughout his 2020 campaign and still succeeded in winning.”
“The Harris team knows their candidate does not perform well in unscripted environments, and a press conference or genuine interview would require her to defend her positions, past statements, and record. Thus, a repeat of the Biden basement strategy seems appealing, especially if it includes a few rallies with Megan Thee Stallion,” McCall remarked, referencing the rapper who performed at Harris’ Atlanta rally on Tuesday.
He indicated that Harris does not feel obligated “to hold a press conference merely because she has become the nominee” since Democrats will support her regardless.
“The supporters gathering around her have little expectation for accountability and minimal interest in her policy positions. For them, simply not being Biden or Trump is enough,” McCall said.
“From a rhetorical strategy perspective, however, having a press conference and engaging in substantive interviews would be advantageous for Harris,” he added. “Eventually, she will need to appeal to moderates or undecided voters who want to see her respond to inquiries.”
The Harris campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The Democratic National Convention is slated to commence on Aug. 19 in Chicago.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
