After 45 days, the unreachable Lady Harris has finally graced constituents with an interview, though she has yet to deign to grant a press conference. Joined by Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz, Kamala fielded softball questions from ardent supporter Dana Bash, allegedly a journalist for CNN.
With 75 days until the election, it is unlikely that voters will see a genuine press conference from the Democrats—and that’s just the way they intended. With an 11th-hour candidate substitution, a floundering current Chief Executive and precious little to say about potential shifts in policy, the DNC is evidently banking on silence to carry their team across the finish line.
Kamala may be attempting to replicate her boss Biden’s winning strategy of 2020, during which he barely emerged from his COVID-19 bunker, tucked away in his Delaware basement. Much of his outreach was done by video-release, and even door-to-door campaigning was outlawed among his supporters. In recent weeks, it has come to light that his administration repeatedly threatened Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to censor data that could be damaging or embarrassing for Biden and Harris. At this point, one might start to wonder just how much we actually know about the passions and plans of the Democrats and how much they are allowing a disenchanted electorate to fill in optimistic blanks.
Even after being elected, President Biden neglected to hold a press conference for a full two months. Despite the alleged insurrection of inauguration day and the atmosphere of fear Democrats claimed had been created, Biden chose to ignore his constituents rather than offer calm leadership. This span marks the longest a modern, sitting President has gone without a press conference, and he has held the fewest of the group to date. Despite his claims over COVID concerns and interaction with the public, he certainly had no issue hosting a public inauguration with all members of Congress in attendance with plus ones.
Over the same 45-day span, Republican nominee Donald Trump has offered a myriad of interviews, as well as several press conferences, as has his Vice-Presidential nominee JD Vance. The team has sat for over 40 interviews and reviewed almost all proposed policies with reporters. The former President has also remained vocal on social media, sharing near-constant information with concerned voters. As it currently stands, the upcoming debate will be the most substantive portion of Kamala’s campaign. Given the limited time frame and subject matter of such an event, it looks like the American people will be heading to the polls knowing very little about their potential President and her plethora of allegedly fresh ideas.
Why do you feel Kamala Harris has avoided giving interviews and press conferences during the campaign? Will it have any impact on the election?
Hilary Gunn is a Connecticut native with a degree in Criminal Justice from the George Washington University. She works for a nonprofit and has previously collaborated with the CT GOP as an activist, political campaign manager and field director, and social media organizer. She is currently serving in her fourth term of municipal office and has previously acted as a delegate on the Republican Town Committee.