Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is demanding that the media hold Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris more accountable and ask her tough questions. Harris has not granted any interviews or held press conferences in the two weeks since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is demanding that the media hold Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris more accountable and ask her tough questions. Harris has not granted any interviews or held press conferences in the two weeks since becoming the Democratic nominee.
JD Vance Calls Out Media's 'Shameful' Kamala Harris Coverage: 'She's Taking a Basement Strategy of Running from Reporters'
Vance made his remarks on Tuesday, saying that Harris's refusal to engage with the media is a "basement strategy" that is "shameful" and "unfair to the American people."
"This is a person who has been a presumptive Democrat nominee for 16 days. She hasn’t taken a single real question from a reporter," Vance said. "The American people deserve to get to know the people who want to lead them, and I think it’s shameful for Kamala Harris, but increasingly for the media, that she is taking a basement strategy of running from reporters instead of getting in front of them and answering tough questions about her record and letting the American people know who she is."
JD Vance Calls Out Media's 'Shameful' Kamala Harris Coverage: 'She's Taking a Basement Strategy of Running from Reporters'
Vance's comments come as Harris has been criticized for avoiding the media while simultaneously enjoying a favorable news cycle. The legacy media has showered her candidacy with glowing coverage, from immediate comparisons of Barack Obama's political rise to reframing her word salads as meme royalty.
However, Harris has also avoided scrutiny, unlike her ex-running mate, President Biden, who was scrutinized heavily following his disastrous debate performance. In the days leading up to his exit from the race, Biden was criticized for his health, his polling took a hit, and Democrats launched an intense pressure campaign to remove him from the top of the ticket.
JD Vance Calls Out Media's 'Shameful' Kamala Harris Coverage: 'She's Taking a Basement Strategy of Running from Reporters'
Stunningly, Biden was quicker to grant an interview during a terrible news cycle than Harris has in the much more favorable news cycle she is currently experiencing, speaking with ABC's George Stephanopoulos eight days after his frail debate showing that scrambled the 2024 race. Subsequent interviews and rallies didn't undo the damage, and he dropped out of the race on July 21.
Even Harris was far more accessible to the media in the aftermath of Biden's debate, making appearances on MSNBC, CNN, and ABC to push the "bad night" narrative.
JD Vance Calls Out Media's 'Shameful' Kamala Harris Coverage: 'She's Taking a Basement Strategy of Running from Reporters'
Both Harris and Trump have been on the campaign stump during their newly-formed match-up, but only Trump has been doing interviews, most notably at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual conference in Chicago where he sparred with the panelists. Harris didn't attend.
Instead, the media has heard from a plethora of high-profile Harris supporters. One of her top surrogates, Transportation Secretary and former VP contender Pete Buttigieg, has done at least 10 interviews hyping her candidacy and attacking the Trump-Vance ticket over the two weeks since Harris became the presumptive nominee.
JD Vance Calls Out Media's 'Shameful' Kamala Harris Coverage: 'She's Taking a Basement Strategy of Running from Reporters'
Why is Harris avoiding the media? Some speculate that she is afraid of making a mistake that could damage her campaign. Others believe that she is simply not comfortable speaking to the press.
Whatever the reason, Harris's refusal to engage with the media is a disservice to the American people. Voters deserve to know who they are voting for, and they can't do that if one of the candidates is hiding from the public.
The media also has a responsibility to hold Harris accountable. They should be asking her tough questions about her record and her plans for the future. They should not be allowing her to get away with avoiding the press.
If Harris wants to be president, she needs to start acting like one. That means being accountable to the American people and answering their questions.
