Vice President Kamala Harris has gone 63 days as the official Democratic nominee for president without holding a formal press conference. Despite growing pressure, Harris has not yet addressed the press in a traditional format.
Last month, she ended her interview drought with a pre-recorded segment on CNN with her running mate, Tim Walz. The interview, conducted by Dana Bash, took place in Georgia and fell short of the traditional press conference format. Since then, Harris has participated in more interviews, including one with the National Association of Black Journalists, and recently attended a star-studded campaign event with Oprah Winfrey.
In contrast, former President Trump has already held three press conferences since the start of August, using them to discuss crime, immigration, and inflation, while also criticizing Harris’s home state.
Harris’s increased media presence includes radio appearances and a solo TV interview in Philadelphia last week. However, the timing of a formal press conference remains unclear.
Jorge Bonilla, host of Conservative Radio Libre, expressed doubt that Harris would ever hold a press conference. “She is highly unlikely to do a press conference because the media have enabled and encouraged her ‘plexiglass basement’ strategy, wherein she preserves the illusion of being out there while remaining wholly inaccessible to the press and therefore unaccountable,” Bonilla told Fox News Digital.
While Harris has been criticized for her media approach, Trump has emphasized the contrast in their availability to the press, taking part in several interviews alongside his press conferences.
During an interview in Philadelphia last Friday, Harris’s response to a question on economic policy drew attention when she referenced her middle-class roots. “You know, I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn,” she said. “And I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity, and that we as Americans have a beautiful character. You know, we have ambitions and aspirations and dreams, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources that can help them fuel those dreams and ambitions.”
She added, “So when I talk about building an opportunity economy, it is very much with the mind of investing in the ambitions and aspirations and the incredible work ethic of the American people and creating opportunity for people, for example, to start a small business.”
