Since when does CNN tell the truth?
On Wednesday morning, CNN’s Kasie Hunt led a discussion questioning whether Vice President Kamala Harris’ strategy of largely avoiding the press could be negatively affecting her campaign. The topic gained attention after Harris scheduled her first interview with CNN, marking a notable departure from her recent media silence.
During the panel discussion, Hunt questioned whether Harris’ delay in scheduling an interview had become a liability for her campaign. “Has the delay in doing this interview created a problem? It seems like this has snowballed into a bigger issue,” Hunt remarked, referencing Republican VP candidate JD Vance’s criticism of Harris for her press avoidance.
Harris, who has not held an unscripted press conference or sit-down interview in 38 days, is set to appear in a joint interview with her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, on CNN. This interview, to be conducted by Dana Bash, is scheduled to air Thursday evening.
Matt Gorman, a former senior adviser on Tim Scott’s presidential campaign, suggested to Hunt that Harris’s avoidance of media since late July—following President Biden’s exit from the race—has allowed issues within the Democratic ticket to “fester” without being addressed. Gorman expressed interest in how Harris and Walz will tackle various topics, noting that unaddressed discrepancies, especially concerning Walz’s military service, have persisted due to the lack of timely media engagement.
Gorman also highlighted concerns about Harris’s policy flip-flops since her previous presidential run in 2020, noting that voters will be keen to see her address these inconsistencies.
DNC senior adviser Brad Woodhouse defended Harris’s media strategy, arguing that her upcoming joint interview is a standard approach. He downplayed the criticism from Republicans, including Vance, suggesting that their insistence on more interviews reveals their desperation. Woodhouse also criticized Donald Trump’s press performance, suggesting that while more interviews might benefit the GOP, they often do not lead to positive outcomes.
Hunt countered Woodhouse’s argument by pointing out that Trump has frequently engaged with the press, though the results have been contentious. The discussion underscores the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of media engagement in political campaigns and how it influences public perception.