MSNBC analyst Michael Steele defends Kamala Harris' avoidance of the media, suggesting that she may not need press engagement to effectively communicate with the public.
On MSNBC's "The Weekend" show, analyst Michael Steele expressed concern about the media's "whining" over Vice President Kamala Harris' limited engagement with them. Steele defended Harris' decision to largely avoid the media since becoming the Democratic nominee, arguing that reporters have been giving former President Trump preferential treatment.
"What has struck me since Donald Trump's press conference is the sort of highbrow nature of the press coming at Kamala Harris," Steele said. "Saying, in my view, whining, that 'she doesn't talk to us. She hasn't done a sit-down with us. She hasn't done interviews with us.' And I watch that press conference and I go, 'Well, you start actually asking real questions of Donald Trump, and pressing him, then that sort of creates a space of balance.'"
MSNBC's Michael Steele Questions Harris' Need for Press if She's Succeeding Without Them
Despite her limited media exposure, Harris is currently leading in battleground states, according to polls. Steele questioned whether it would benefit the vice president to do any formal interviews before November.
"At what point do you say strategically, 'Why do I need to talk to you right now? I'm talking to the American people and we're having a conversation. You're happy to follow it and to report on it,'" Steele said. "You know she's going to sit down at some point. But right now, is there a real need for her to sort of get the imprimatur of the press on her campaign and her efforts when she's having a very good conversation, seemingly, with the American people without them?"
MSNBC's Michael Steele Questions Harris' Need for Press if She's Succeeding Without Them
Harris answered a few questions on the airport tarmac while campaigning in Michigan, but her engagement with the media lasted only two minutes. When asked about her lack of interviews or formal press conferences, Harris replied, "I've talked to my team. I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month."
Despite Harris' limited press availability, a major liberal media outlet has published a piece urging journalists to press her on questions about her policies. The New Yorker staff writer Jay Caspian King argued that it is the media's job to ensure that voters know who they are supporting.
MSNBC's Michael Steele Questions Harris' Need for Press if She's Succeeding Without Them
"It's the job of the press in a healthy democracy to make sure that voters know whom they're supporting. An unexamined candidate can become anything, and can work under the influence of anyone, when they assume power," King wrote.
Trump held a lengthy news conference at Mar-a-Lago, which his campaign presented as a "stark contrast" to Harris' lack of media availability. Steele criticized the media for not pressing Trump on key issues during his press conference.
MSNBC's Michael Steele Questions Harris' Need for Press if She's Succeeding Without Them
"I watch that press conference and I go, 'You know what? You guys let him get away with murder up there. He's just out there spitting out these lies and half-truths,'" Steele said.
MSNBC's Michael Steele defended Kamala Harris' avoidance of the media, suggesting that she may not need press engagement to effectively communicate with the public. However, a major liberal media outlet has called on journalists to press Harris on her policies, arguing that it is their responsibility to inform voters about the candidates they are supporting.
