Vice President Kamala Harris has been the Democratic nominee for president for 99 days without holding a formal press conference. In comparison, former President Trump has held six news conferences since August. Harris has had a couple of informal press interactions while on the campaign trail, but has yet to hold a full press conference.
Although Harris has been increasing her media appearances in recent weeks, including interviews with various outlets, the idea of her holding a formal press conference as a candidate remains uncertain. Conservative Radio Libre host Jorge Bonilla believes Harris should hold a press conference, but also notes that the media has been lenient towards her.
Bonilla stated, “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.”
While Harris has been engaging in various media appearances, she decided not to attend the annual Al Smith dinner, where presidential candidates typically engage in lighthearted roasts. Harris sent a video message instead of attending the event.
Harris also faced controversy over a recent interview on “60 Minutes” where editing choices by the show raised concerns. The preview of the interview aired one portion of her answer to a question about Israel, while the actual special seemed to include a different part of her response.
Despite these interactions, Harris’s avoidance of a formal press conference as a candidate raises questions about her accessibility and accountability to the public and the media. As the election season progresses, it remains to be seen if Harris will address these concerns through a more traditional press conference format.
