Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has come under fire for her limited engagement with the press. She has not taken questions from reporters in the nearly three weeks since President Biden suspended his re-election campaign – a strategy that echoes Biden’s 2020 approach.
Critics, including Cody Sargent, spokesperson for Heritage Action for America, have accused Harris of running a “Trojan horse” campaign, using distractions to mask her alleged radical socialist agenda. They point to her limited media appearances and focus on light-hearted promotions as evidence of this strategy.
While Harris’s media avoidance appears to be working for now, she was forced to field questions from reporters on Thursday after facing criticism for her 18-day media silence. Her brief encounter with the press drew further comparisons to Biden’s limited press interactions during his 2020 campaign.
Former President Trump, who has himself been criticized for his own media avoidance, took to Truth Social to criticize Harris’s lack of interviews. He suggested that her team is aware of her inability to answer questions, echoing the sentiment that her media strategy is designed to shield her from scrutiny.
Despite the criticism, Harris’s media silence has not stopped her from gaining ground in the betting markets. On Thursday, she surpassed Trump in the betting odds for the first time since May 1, when Biden was still in the race. This shift in odds suggests a growing confidence in Harris’s chances of winning the presidency.
Further cementing the race’s intensifying momentum, Trump and Harris have agreed to a debate on September 10th, hosted by ABC News. This televised event promises to be a crucial moment in the campaign, allowing the candidates to directly address voters and engage in a public showdown.
The media spotlight remains firmly focused on both candidates, with scrutiny surrounding their media strategies, policy positions, and perceived strengths and weaknesses. As the election approaches, this focus is only likely to intensify, fueling a race that is increasingly unpredictable and full of drama.
