Kamala Harris Fails To Sit For Interview During First Week Of Presidential Campaign

Riding on excitement and energy, Vice President Kamala Harris has yet to sit down for an interview more than a week into her presidential campaign.

Within thirty minutes of President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race on July 21, Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee thanks to Biden’s endorsement. Amid the rallies, endorsements and speaking engagements, Harris is yet to sit down for a TV or print interview.

On the contrary, Biden, who has repeatedly dodged traditional media appearances and press conferences, rapidly arranged sit-downs in the final weeks of his campaign as a way to prove his fitness for office. The president sat down for two TV interviews, the first with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos and then NBC News’ Lester Holt. The president also did a sit-down that ran online for Complex. (RELATED: Joe Biden Repeatedly Denies Reality In Primetime ABC Interview)

The president also did a solo press conference at D.C.’s NATO Summit, a showing that temporarily quelled concerns about his bid for reelection. But nine days into the Harris campaign, she is yet to do anything similar, despite the president’s old campaign being converted into her own, according to Politico.

“We’re building the plane while we’re flying it,” former Democratic South Carolina State Rep. Bakari Sellers told Politico. “She’s going to be everywhere. Her message will be everywhere. This is going to be unlike anything we’ve seen before. These won’t be baby steps. She’ll explode on the scene.”

Harris has participated in several rallies without many unscripted moments. Throughout her vice presidency, Harris has been more accessible than Biden, though in 2021 her office took a more careful approach to the media, Semafor reported. Even more so, at the conclusion of her 2020 presidential campaign, Harris was on rocky footing with the media, a relationship she is now seeking to repair.

Harris’ shift in media strategy began after a sit down interview with Holt in 2021 where she admitted she still hadn’t visited the southern border, according to Semafor. The clip continues to circulate years later, and Harris’ retreat from media appearances in the aftermath has allowed such moments to linger for longer, the outlet reported.

In the past, the vice president has been hesitant to participate in any events that aren’t highly controlled, Harris and Biden aides told Axios. The vice president was invited in April 2022 to attend a salon-type dinner at David Bradley’s home, an event that caused Harris so much anxiety her staff was forced to simulate it as practice ahead of time, Axios reported.

As the Harris team rides out a “honeymoon phase,” the Daily Caller previously reported that the Trump campaign is working on getting the vice president off-script as a part of its campaign strategy. Allies close to the Trump campaign told the Caller that Harris’ tendency for gaffes and awkward moments in unscripted environments will turn voters away from the vice president.(RELATED: Trump Says He Will ‘Absolutely’ Debate Kamala Harris, Says He Would Do ‘More Than One’)

“Every time Kamala Harris opens her mouth she’s off-script. Her record is the most dangerously liberal record in existence and no amount of scripting can change that,” Chris LaCivita, a senior Trump campaign official, told the Caller.