Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference in 14 days since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, as of Sunday.
Harris declared her secured nomination late on July 22, stating that she had garnered the support of a majority of the nearly 4,000 delegates for next month’s Democratic National Convention. Since then, she has actively campaigned, spoken at several events, and engaged with reporters intermittently; however, she has not participated in a formal press conference or in-depth interview in the 13 days following her announcement.
Additionally, she missed the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where former President Trump generated headlines during a heated Q&A session on Wednesday. On Thursday, Harris briefly addressed reporters at Joint Base Andrews while she and President Biden welcomed Americans released from Russia in a large prisoner exchange, which included Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
“This is a remarkable testament to the importance of having a president who grasps the power of diplomacy and recognizes the importance of enhancing alliances,” Harris stated. “Today is a significant occasion.”
Becoming the likely nominee without securing a single primary vote, following President Biden’s announcement to step aside last month, Harris has been notably elusive, prompting The New York Times to publish excerpts of an interview she did last year, assessing where her responses “stand now.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference in 14 days since becoming the presumed Democratic presidential nominee.
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Following Biden’s major announcement, many members of the Democratic Party—including governors, senators, and House members—rallied around Harris. However, critics have started to note her lack of engagement with the press.
National Review senior writer Noah Rothman inquired on social media, “When is Kamala Harris going to hold a press conference?”
On Wednesday, the RNC Research account on X pointed out that she has only delivered “teleprompter speeches,” while conservative commentator Ben Shapiro stated that Harris “has not answered ONE difficult question in the last week and a half.”
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Tim Graham, executive editor of NewsBusters, anticipates that she will mimic President Biden’s 2020 strategy, during which he was frequently accused of hiding from the media amid the COVID pandemic.
“Kamala Harris should undoubtedly hold a press conference. One would expect this when she selects her vice-presidential candidate. However, it’s likely she will continue to follow Biden’s pattern of avoiding such opportunities,” Graham commented to Fox News Digital.
“Since the 2020 campaign, we have witnessed the intriguing scenario of Donald Trump granting extensive access to networks that deem him a fascist while he faces continuous criticism, whereas Biden and Harris avoid interacting with media outlets that lavish praise on them and their ‘historic accomplishments,'” he elaborated. “This indicates either their expectation of an inept press or a complete lack of confidence in their ability to articulate coherent responses.”
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Critics have noticed that Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t held a formal press conference since President Biden’s announcement to end his re-election campaign.
(Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
DePauw University media studies professor Jeffrey McCall believes that the Harris campaign recognizes “that Biden navigated the media throughout his 2020 campaign and was still elected.”
“The Harris team is well aware that their candidate struggles in unscripted scenarios, and a press conference or an authentic sit-down interview would demand she address some of her viewpoints, previous statements, and record. Thus, a repeat of the Biden basement campaign seems appealing, especially with a few rallies featuring Megan Thee Stallion,” McCall commented, referencing the rapper’s attendance at Harris’ Atlanta rally on Tuesday.
He expressed that Harris likely feels no urgency “to hold a press conference simply because she has ascended to the nomination,” believing that Democrats will support her regardless.
“The supporters lining up behind her don’t expect accountability and show little interest in her policy stances. Simply not being Biden or Trump is enough for them,” McCall mentioned.
“However, from a rhetorical strategy perspective, it would be beneficial for Harris to actually conduct a press conference and engage in legitimate journalistic interviews,” he added. “Eventually, she will need to attract moderates or undecided voters who wish to see her respond to questions.”
The Harris campaign did not respond immediately to a request for comments.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to begin on August 19 in Chicago.
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Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
