Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a victory lap after Democrats declared her the winner in the obviously biased ABC News debate, her campaign announced that the VP will start sitting down for more interviews.
In a campaign memo released just days after the debate in which moderators fact-checked former President Donald Trump and gave Harris softball questions, the New York Times revealed that Harris would do local and national interviews in the next few weeks.
While Ms. Harris’s top aides are thrilled with her debate showing and Mr. Trump’s inability to push consistent and coherent attacks, they are looking to tweak their strategy only around the edges. The next steps, close advisers say, are ramping up her visibility on the campaign trail, including retail politicking in communities, increased press appearances, and putting herself in front of as many voters as possible in battleground states. Aides believe that at its heart, the race is unchanged.
As she seeks to build momentum after her debate performance, in which she avoided most questions and was evasive--particularly on the economy-- Harris embarks on what the campaign calls the “New Way Forward Tour.”
She will stop in North Carolina and Pennsylvania and sit down for media interviews—something she has avoided since becoming the Democratic nominee. The Harris campaign also said the vice president would do a sit-down interview with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) next week.
Over the summer, former President Donald Trump interviewed with the NABJ, in which members of the liberal organization baited him.
OFF THE RAILS!
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 31, 2024
TRUMP: "I don't think I've ever been asked a question in such a horrible manner, first question. You don't even say 'Hello, how are you.' Are you with ABC? Because I think they are a fake news network, a terrible network." pic.twitter.com/9Prmozw2fE
This comes after criticism and concern among her allies and the opposing party expressed their frustration for the lack of attention she has given the media and voters.
So far, Harris has only done one national interview. However, it was a pre-recorded joint CNN interview with her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.). Harris’s campaign strategy has mirrored that of President Joe Biden— in which his team kept him away from reporters in fear he would mess up or reveal he couldn’t handle unscripted questions.
“Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country, the sitting vice president generally reverted to talking points about a few of her policy proposals,” CNN’s Jake Tapper said after the debate. “Even Harris allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans if elected.”
In a post-debate poll, I reported that most voters are still unsure who Harris is and where she stands, citing Harris’s “vague” answers.