Vice-President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic contenders for the U.S. presidency, are set to appear in their first joint interview. The duo will engage in an on-the-record conversation with CNN in Georgia, scheduled to air on Thursday at 21:00 EDT (02:00 BST). This marks their initial in-depth media engagement since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Harris as his successor over five weeks ago.
Since Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket, she has faced criticism from Republicans for allegedly avoiding the press, leading to accusations that she has left voters uncertain about her presidential intentions. This upcoming interview represents a critical moment for Harris and Walz, providing them with a platform to address these criticisms. It also fulfills a promise Harris made to conduct a sit-down interview before the end of the month.
The interview follows their prominent appearances at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, a well-orchestrated and star-studded event. After the interview, Harris plans to continue her campaign efforts with a bus tour through the key battleground state of Georgia. This interview will be one of the few chances for voters across the nation to gain deeper insight into the Harris-Walz campaign’s policy positions as election day, now just 70 days away, approaches.
Republicans and members of the media have increasingly voiced concerns over the campaign’s limited disclosure of specific policy positions and the scarcity of interviews during Harris’s unprecedented and expedited presidential run. These issues have provided ample ammunition for her opponents’ attacks. Former President Donald Trump recently remarked during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that Harris “can’t do an interview” because she is “barely competent.”
Ohio Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, has also criticized both Harris and the media, denouncing her reluctance to engage with the press. Earlier this month, he condemned her for not taking “a single real question from a reporter,” calling it “shameful.” Vance has repeatedly pointed out that both he and Trump have participated in numerous interviews and press conferences, often facing “hostile questions” from journalists.
In contrast, Harris, whose campaign has so far enjoyed a smooth trajectory, has avoided the gaffes that have plagued the Republican ticket. This cautious approach may be deliberate, given her past difficulties with the press, including a 2021 interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on immigration and the U.S. southern border, which reportedly led to her reducing media engagements thereafter.
The impact of this upcoming interview on Harris’s campaign remains uncertain, but several national polls show her maintaining a lead over Trump in the run-up to the November presidential election. A recent poll from Farleigh Dickinson University suggests that Harris leads Trump by seven points, with 50 percent support compared to Trump’s 43 percent. This represents a significant turnaround for Democrats, who had begun to lag behind Republicans in several races when Biden was the nominee, with polls often showing him trailing Trump by several points.
