Fox News reported that it has been 13 days since she assumed the top spot on the Democratic ticket, and she has not had a press conference.
“Kamala Harris should absolutely hold a press conference. One would expect it when she names her vice-presidential pick. But we cannot expect her to break from Biden’s serial avoidance of press conferences,” Graham said to Fox News Digital.
“Since the 2020 campaign, we have witnessed the bizarre spectacle of Donald Trump granting wide access to networks that suggest he’s a fascist and hammer him daily, while Biden and Harris won’t grant interviews to media outlets that gurgle all over them and their ‘historic accomplishments,’” he said. “Either they think the press can never be servile enough, or they are projecting a complete lack of confidence in their efforts to put complete sentences together.”
It is unlikely that the mainstream media is going to press her for a press conference or interview as they have been busy producing glowing pieces on the candidate.
DePauw University media studies professor Jeffrey McCall said that the vice president’s campaign is “well aware that Biden dodged the media throughout his 2020 campaign and still got elected.”
“The Harris camp is also well aware that their candidate doesn’t do well in unscripted settings, not to mention that a presser or legitimate sit-down interview would necessarily require her to defend some of her positions, previous statements and record. Thus, a rerun of the Biden basement campaign sounds pretty good, as long as you throw in a couple of rallies with Megan Thee Stallion,” he said.
He said that the vice president does not feel pressure “to do a press conference just because she has fallen into the nomination” because Democrats are going to support her no matter what.
“The supporters rallying around her don’t expect her to be accountable and have little interest in her policy positions and so on. That she’s not Biden, or Trump, is sufficient for those supporters,” he said.
“From a rhetorical strategy standpoint, however, it would behoove Harris to actually do a presser and do real journalistic interviews,” he said. “At some point, it would seem, she’ll have to attract moderates or undecided voters who want to see her take questions.”