Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance accuses the media of giving Vice President Kamala Harris a "honeymoon," demanding that she answer questions about her record and show herself to the American people.
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance has once again criticized the media for not holding Vice President Kamala Harris accountable and for failing to ask her tough questions about her record.
During a press conference in Detroit, Vance urged the media to "show a little bit of self-awareness" and to demand that Harris "do the job of a presidential candidate" by speaking to reporters.
JD Vance Slams Media, Calls for Accountability from Kamala Harris
"Until she does, you guys have got to stop giving her a honeymoon and pretending that she is something she isn't," he said.
Vance specifically attacked Harris's past comments on policing and her role in addressing the flow of migrants at the southern border.
JD Vance Slams Media, Calls for Accountability from Kamala Harris
"The media honeymoon for a person who runs away from the American people is disgraceful. It's not just disgraceful for Kamala Harris, it's increasingly disgraceful on the part of the media," he added.
Vance previously scolded the media about their coverage of Harris while speaking to a press gaggle on his plane ahead of a rally in Philadelphia. He took a question about former President Trump not appearing on the campaign trail until Friday and pivoted to hitting Harris, who hasn't sat for a formal interview or a press conference in the more than two weeks since she ascended as the Democratic nominee.
JD Vance Slams Media, Calls for Accountability from Kamala Harris
"I think you guys have got to do a better job at actually forcing Kamala Harris to answer questions," he said. "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. 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."
Vance said he and Trump take both "hostile questions" and non-hostile ones because they respect the American people.
Save for brief informal remarks to reporters at various points since she took over the 2024 ticket, Harris has avoided the press en route to clinching the nomination. She has enjoyed highly favorable coverage all the while.
Vance's criticism is the latest in a series of attacks from Republicans who have accused the media of bias in favor of Democrats. They have pointed to the media's focus on Trump's personal scandals while giving Biden a pass on his own controversial statements and actions.
The media has defended its coverage of Harris, saying that they have treated her fairly and have not shied away from asking her tough questions. However, they acknowledge that Harris has been more inaccessible to the media than Biden has been.
Only time will tell whether the media will heed Vance's call for greater accountability from Harris. In the meantime, the issue of media bias is likely to remain a contentious one in the run-up to the 2024 election.
