A longtime CNN host delivered a scathing critique of Vice President Kamala Harris’s conspicuous absence from the press on Tuesday morning. The former host, whose tenure with CNN spanned over a decade, lambasted Harris for her reluctance to engage with major media outlets—a contrast to the media-friendly approach of some of her predecessors.
Chris Cillizza pointed out the alarming silence from the Vice President since her formal nomination on his X account: “It’s been 23 days since Joe Biden ended his candidacy. It’s been 7 days since Kamala Harris was formally named the Democratic presidential nominee. She has yet to sit for an interview with ANY media outlet. And she has answered less than 5 total questions from the press.”
It’s been 23 days since Joe Biden ended his candidacy.
It’s been 7 days since Kamala Harris was formally named the Democratic presidential nominee.
She has yet to sit for an interview with ANY media outlet.
And she has answered less than 5 total questions from the press.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) August 13, 2024
The media standoff comes at a critical time in American politics. Former President Donald Trump, not one to shy away from the spotlight, capitalized on this by engaging in a highly publicized interview with X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. During the over-two-hour discussion, Trump comfortably navigated through a series of questions, seizing the opportunity to criticize Harris’s positions on the economy and immigration.
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Harris has the capability to arrange a sit-down interview with a major TV network or newspaper on short notice, likely within an hour or two, given her high-profile status and the media’s interest in her. While Trump’s dialogue with Musk showed his readiness to leverage media platforms to reinforce his political narrative, Harris’s absence has left a void filled with uncertainty and frustration among journalists. This has led to questions about her approach to transparency and accountability, critical factors that voters consider when heading to the polls.
Harris will be hoping to maintain her dominance in the media cycle at next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago where she will formally become the party’s nominee. Officials are preparing for a riotous series of protests that continue to push progressives to vote “uncommitted” in November, a signal that their anti-Israel movement hasn’t changed with the rise of Harris, who they still hold responsible for Biden’s positions.
Harry Enten, the chief political pollster for CNN, may start to sound like a screechy broken record to Democrats who otherwise would rely on the once-centrist news outlet to carry their water in an election year. On Tuesday, Enten was on for the third time in as many months warning Vice President Harris about possible pitfalls with just 83 days to go before Election Day.
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Among them would be underestimating the deep well of support for former President Trump, and especially his populist policies, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of voters into the Republican Party over the past seven and a half years. The former president is actually performing much better in key demographics than where he stood four years ago, Enten explained.
“The bottom line is this: If you have any idea if you’re a Kamala Harris fan and you want to rip open the champagne bottle, pop that cork, do not do it. Donald Trump is very much in this race. If we have a polling shift like we’ve seen in prior years between now and Election Day, Donald Trump would actually win,” said the analyst. “I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but he’s very much in this ball game.”
(VOTE: Are You Supporting TRUMP Or KAMALA In November?)