Vice President Kamala Harris, the official Democratic nominee for president, has gone 85 days without holding an official press conference. In contrast, former President Trump has held six news conferences since August, including one this month after meeting with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp regarding hurricane relief efforts. President Biden also held a news conference earlier this month, where he joked about running for the 2024 race.
While Harris has increased her interviews in recent weeks, including radio appearances, a solo interview with a Philadelphia TV station, and friendly appearances on shows like “The View,” Stephen Colbert, and Howard Stern, she has yet to hold a formal press conference as a candidate. Conservative Radio Libre host Jorge Bonilla believes she should hold a press conference, but he thinks it may be irrelevant since she has been given a pass by the media.
Bonilla feels that Harris is unlikely to hold a press conference because the media have supported her strategy of remaining mostly inaccessible to the press, which makes her unaccountable. In a recent interview in Philadelphia, Harris faced criticism for her response about her middle-class background when asked about her economic policy specifics. She mentioned growing up in a neighborhood where people took pride in their lawns and stressed the importance of providing dignity to all Americans and investing in their dreams and aspirations.
Barbara Walters, according to an author, would expect Harris to participate in interviews as part of the job of being president. Despite this expectation, Harris has yet to hold a formal press conference. It remains to be seen if and when she will hold one in the future.
It is essential for political candidates to engage with the press and the public through press conferences to address important issues and provide transparency. The lack of a formal press conference from Harris raises questions about her accessibility and accountability as a candidate. As the election season progresses, voters may be looking for more opportunities to hear from Harris directly on various policy issues and challenges facing the country.