Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference in the past 18 days since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as of Thursday.
Harris effectively became the de facto nominee after President Biden endorsed her on July 21, when he officially exited the race, and she secured the nomination last week. Although she has been active on the campaign trail, speaking at various events and making informal remarks to reporters, she has not participated in a formal press conference or extensive interview in the 16 days since.
She also missed the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago, where former President Trump generated headlines with a contentious Q&A session, although she may have a chance to engage with the group in the future.
This week, she garnered attention by selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, but neither has yet participated in formal interviews or press conferences. This has sparked concerns from GOP vice-presidential candidate JD Vance, who urged the media to step up and press Harris for answers.
During a Wednesday press conference in Detroit, Vance called on reporters to “show a little bit of self-awareness” and challenged Harris to “fulfill the role of a presidential candidate” by addressing the media.
“Until she does, you all need to stop giving her a honeymoon and acting as though she is something she isn’t,” he stated.
Harris’s absence from the media has become so pronounced that The New York Times published excerpts from an interview she had last year in an effort to gauge where her responses “land now.” Some critics have compared her approach to the previously criticized Biden “basement” strategy from 2020.
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Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a press conference for over two weeks since emerging as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In the wake of Biden’s major announcement, much of the Democratic Party—including governors, senators, and House members—quickly rallied behind Harris. However, critics are noticing that she has not faced significant questioning since then.
National Review senior writer Noah Rothman took to social media on Wednesday to inquire, “When will Kamala Harris hold a press conference?”
“The most revealing opportunity for a candidate to submit to scrutiny is a lengthy press conference—and that’s exactly what Harris needs to do. We know it’s necessary because just weeks ago, Democratic political strategists insisted that was essential for Biden,” he articulated for National Review.
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Tim Graham, executive editor of NewsBusters, predicts that she will mirror President Biden’s 2020 strategy, during which he was often accused of staying hidden in his basement during the COVID pandemic.
“Kamala Harris should definitely hold a press conference. One would anticipate that after announcing her vice-presidential pick, she takes questions. However, we shouldn’t expect her to diverge from Biden’s trend of avoiding press conferences,” Graham disclosed to Fox News Digital.
“Since the 2020 campaign, we have observed the unusual sight of Donald Trump granting extensive access to networks who criticize him daily, while Biden and Harris refrain from granting interviews to media outlets that praise them and their ‘historic accomplishments’,” he continued. “Either they believe the press can never be accommodating enough, or they are demonstrating complete insecurity in their ability to articulate coherent responses.”
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Critics have noted that Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal press conference since President Biden withdrew from his re-election campaign. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
DePauw University media studies professor Jeffrey McCall believes the Harris campaign is “keenly aware that Biden evaded the media during his 2020 campaign and still managed to win.”
“The Harris team knows their candidate struggles in unstructured situations, and that a press conference or a genuine interview would require her to justify some of her past statements and record. Hence, a repeat of the Biden basement campaign appears to be an appealing option, provided it includes a few events with Megan Thee Stallion,” McCall remarked, referencing the rapper who appeared at Harris’ Atlanta rally on Tuesday.
He suggested that Harris likely does not feel pressured to hold a press conference simply because she now occupies the nomination, as Democrats will continue to support her regardless.
“Her supporters don’t demand accountability and show little interest in her policy stances. The fact that she isn’t Biden or Trump suffices for her base,” McCall commented.
“Nevertheless, from a strategic communication perspective, it would be advantageous for Harris to conduct a press conference and partake in legitimate journalistic interviews,” he elaborated. “Eventually, she will need to appeal to moderates or undecided voters who want to see her answer questions.”
The Harris campaign has not provided any comments regarding this matter.
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to commence on August 19 in Chicago.
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Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
