Vice President Kamala Harris has been the Democratic nominee for president for 97 days without holding a formal press conference. In contrast, former President Trump has held six news conferences since August. Harris has engaged in brief, informal press interactions while on the campaign trail, including appearances on Fox News, CNN, NBC News, and Telemundo. She has also increased her media interviews in recent weeks, appearing on radio shows and talk shows like “The View,” Stephen Colbert, and Howard Stern.
Despite her increased media presence, there is uncertainty about when Harris will hold a formal press conference as a candidate. Conservative Radio Libre host Jorge Bonilla believes that the media have allowed Harris to avoid press conferences, leading to a lack of accountability. He described her strategy as a “plexiglass basement” approach, where she maintains the appearance of being accessible while avoiding tough questions from the press.
While Trump has skipped some interviews in recent weeks, he attended the Al Smith dinner, a traditional event for presidential candidates, where lighthearted roasts are exchanged. Harris chose not to attend the event and sent a video message instead. Additionally, Harris faced controversy over a “60 Minutes” interview where her response to a question about Israel was edited in a misleading way.
It remains to be seen whether Harris will schedule a formal press conference in the future. Despite criticism from some quarters, she continues to engage with the media through various channels. As the campaign progresses, the public will be looking for more opportunities to hear from Harris directly on key issues and policy positions.