Vice President Kamala Harris is following President Joe Biden’s example of avoiding the media, relying only on teleprompters, and refusing to take questions from reporters.
Since Biden was forced out of the 2024 race, Harris has not held a single press conference. She speaks with voters only as long as a scripted speech is rolling on a screen in front of her.
After Harris was officially named the Democratic nominee on Friday, Republicans accused Harris of hiding from the media, and some Democrats agreed.
“They’ve got to get her out there soon because they can’t let this be part of the narrative,” a Democratic strategist said. “I know we’re riding high at the moment, but that’s going to end soon. And then what?”
Many have pointed out that Biden spent much of the general election hiding in his basement, communicating to the country via a television camera, and his Democratic National Convention (DNC) speech was delivered to a near-empty room in Delaware. Yet, he still somehow defeated former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
So, why would Harris change anything with her campaign?
Harris, much like Biden, is known for her constant word salads and gaffes, so keeping her as far from reporters and live television is Democrat’s best bet.
“The vice president is showing all of us that you don’t need to do high-profile interviews or press conferences to get attention from the media or from voters,” Democrat strategist Christy Setzer said. "I’d say she has a robust communications strategy [with] a wildly different tone in ads and press statements designed to generate media.”
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Another Democrat strategist said there is no reason for Harris to sit down for an interview, given that her polling numbers have steadily increased since Biden dropped out of the race.
On the contrary, Trump spends most of his time talking to voters, answering reporter questions, and holding rallies across the nation.
“Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has been hiding out for the ten days that she’s been a nominee,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said.
Republican strategist Matt Gorman argued that Harris can be convincing when she is prepared and sticks to the agenda. However, it’s when she goes off script that the train derails. He predicted the vice president’s team would keep Harris hidden for the next 96 days until the election to avoid any mishaps with the press.
“She is fine when she controls every variable and can have her prepared lines,” Gorman said. “It goes south for her when she’s back on her heels in scenarios she doesn’t entirely control.”
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