{"id":2318897,"date":"2024-08-04T07:25:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T11:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-starts-to-face-pressure-to-face-the-press-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-04T07:29:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T11:29:21","slug":"harris-starts-to-face-pressure-to-face-the-press-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-starts-to-face-pressure-to-face-the-press-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Harris starts to face pressure to face the press &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fharris-starts-to-face-pressure-to-face-the-press-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2318897&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses \u200cthe \u200dincreasing pressure on Vice President Kamala Harris from Republicans to appear more in unscripted settings and engage with the press as she campaigns for\u200b the \u2062presidency. Since her announcement to run, Harris has increased her public presence at rallies and \u2064events, but her interactions with the media\u2063 have \u2063been limited, leading \u2064to accusations\u2063 of &#8220;hiding&#8221;\u200c from\u200c scrutiny. Critics argue that her cautious approach is due to a\u200c history\u200c of making \u2064gaffes\u200c during unscripted \u2064interviews, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/qatars-prime-minister-dodges-question-on-future-of-hamas-inside-country\/\" title=\"Qatar&#039;s PM evades query about Hamas&#039; future in the country\">citing\u2062 past instances<\/a> where\u200c she stumbled over questions about her vice\u200c presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans believe that once Harris begins to speak freely, \u2063the initial \u2062positive outlook\u2064 among Democrats will fade. They criticize her\u200b for relying on scripted statements and warn that her past performances could hurt her candidacy. Meanwhile, Trump has also faced backlash for\u200d his comments\u200c during media appearances but\u2063 continues \u2064to\u2062 engage with \u2064the press, albeit clumsily. The article \u2064underscores the strategic challenges both candidates face as\u200d they\u2063 navigate public discourse leading up to\u200c the election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Harris faces GOP pressure to stop &lsquo;hiding&rsquo; from the press<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1721373\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Republicans are starting to ramp up pressure on Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> to appear in more unscripted settings as they seek to end the political honeymoon she&rsquo;s enjoyed since taking over the Democratic ticket.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s public presence has increased in the two weeks since she announced her run for president as she attends a series of rallies, fundraisers, and other campaign events. Meanwhile, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>White House<\/a> has given her a more prominent role at official events, including her meeting with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Israeli<\/a> Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> last week.<\/p>\n<p>However, in terms of her availability to the press, the Harris campaign has been more cautious. She has so far only engaged in a couple of on-the-record interactions with reporters. Republicans have accused her of &ldquo;hiding&rdquo; from public scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&rsquo;s early rollout has energized Democrats following a three-week fight over whether President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a> still had the mental acuity to challenge Donald Trump effectively. Biden ultimately bowed out of the race, endorsing Harris to run against the former president instead.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans are hoping to end what several Democrats are describing as a &ldquo;sugar high&rdquo; seen in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/polls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>polling<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fundraising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fundraising<\/a> once she begins to speak more extemporaneously.<\/p>\n<p>The Harris campaign is keeping the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/who-is-roy-cooper-meet-one-of-the-six-top-names-on-harriss-vp-short-list-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Who is Roy Cooper? Meet one of the six top names on Harris\u2019s VP short list - Washington Examiner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-defector-emails-pipeline-to-obama-admin-seen-as-currency\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden Defector Emails: &#039;Pipeline&#039; to Obama Admin Seen as &#039;Currency&#039;\">vice president<\/a> &#038;ldquo<\/a>;in the basement because she has a history of word salads and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>California<\/a>-lefty buzz words,&rdquo; according to Republican strategist Brad Todd.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They know she is at her best when voters can project whatever they want on her candidacy and not have to confront what it actually is,&rdquo; Todd told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Already, Republicans are <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JDVance\/status\/1819371846887768273\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>mocking<\/a> her first interactions with the press. Trump&rsquo;s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), said Harris &ldquo;sounds like a third grader giving a book report on a book she didn&rsquo;t read&rdquo; after she and Biden welcomed home U.S. citizens who had been wrongly detained in Russia.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances,&rdquo; Harris told reporters. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an incredible day. And I got to see it in the families and in their eyes and in their cries.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Harris has long leaned on her prosecutorial experience as a former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/san-francisco\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>San Francisco<\/a> district attorney and California attorney general to deliver viral moments, from her questioning of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Supreme Court<\/a> Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brett-kavanaugh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Brett Kavanaugh<\/a> during his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Senate<\/a> confirmation hearing in 2018 to her exchange with Biden on bussing during their first Democratic primary debate in 2019, when she was still a Golden State senator.<\/p>\n<p>However, it has been in interviews, such as her sit-down with NBC in 2021 when she was asked why she had not been to the southern border as vice president, and town halls where she has been perceived as her weakest in the past.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And I haven&rsquo;t been to&nbsp;Europe,&rdquo; she told Lester Holt at the time. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t understand the point that you&rsquo;re making.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Interviews will be especially significant this election cycle in the absence of a traditional primary process, with the Harris campaign so far relying on statements to disseminate her policy positions.<\/p>\n<p>For now, it is &ldquo;smart&rdquo; for the Harris campaign to build up to media appearances, according to David Greenberg, a professor of history, media studies, and journalism at Rutgers University.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In time, however, she&rsquo;ll hit some bumps and will probably find a need to do live interviews and, of course, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/debates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>debate<\/a> with Trump,&rdquo; he told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;For those, she&rsquo;ll need to know her own mind on controversial issues that matter to swing voters.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Despite its strategy since July 21, when Biden announced he was stepping down as the 2024 Democratic nominee, the Harris campaign has underscored how the vice president has participated in 80 interviews this year.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Since becoming the candidate, Vice President Harris has been blitzing the country, talking directly to voters, and mobilizing a historic coalition that&rsquo;s ready to win in November,&rdquo; a Harris campaign spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Trump is doing none of that. On the rare occasion he addresses people outside his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maga\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>MAGA<\/a> base, he&rsquo;s putting his foot in his mouth, turning off the voters he needs to win, and talking about anything but a positive vision for the future &mdash; ranting about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unemployment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>black jobs<\/a>, attacking journalists, and promising to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/january-6\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>pardon insurrectionists<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has been permitting more access through a call with reporters concerning immigration and by attending this week&rsquo;s National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago, though he, too, has fumbled with his media appearances.<\/p>\n<p>During his NABJ interview, he falsely accused Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage, of &ldquo;becoming a black person,&rdquo; prompting days of outcry and squirming from Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, Trump has doubled down on the remarks in public and on social media.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has a tendency to play &ldquo;to his base, whether that is his audience or not,&rdquo; according to Sandy&nbsp;Maisel, professor emeritus of government at Colby College.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That is the only possible explanation of his NABJ interview,&rdquo; Maisel told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;His ego does not allow him ever to admit a mistake, so he doubles down and his base loves it. Whether that serves him in the broader electorate seems less certain.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Greenberg, of Rutgers, agreed that Trump &ldquo;has good instincts about how to reclaim the spotlight&rdquo; and that &ldquo;even his absurd and offensive comments to the black journalists had the effect of winning him attention.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In response, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated that Harris is relying on Biden&rsquo;s so-called basement strategy from 2020 &ldquo;to hide her weakness and extremist agenda because she knows that opening her mouth will bring her disapproval ratings to a new low.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Kamala will keep hiding while the fake news media rewrites history and lets her staffers walk back her radical policies,&rdquo; Leavitt told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>.&nbsp;&ldquo;Voters didn&rsquo;t like dangerously liberal Kamala when she ran in 2020, and after four years of destroying America, they certainly won&rsquo;t like her this time around.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While Brian&nbsp;Rosenwald, a political and media historian at the University of Pennsylvania, would have granted interviews for Harris &ldquo;to capitalize on the intense interest, as well as to get her message out at a time they didn&rsquo;t have ads up,&rdquo; he said he understood why they have not been &ldquo;a top priority.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;People forget how massive of an undertaking a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">presidential campaign<\/a> is,&rdquo; Rosenwald told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;So to take one over abruptly with this little time before Election Day, I have to assume Harris has been preoccupied with staffing and messaging decisions, maybe filming for ads, overseeing a vice presidential vetting and selection process, etc. &hellip; She&rsquo;s got to take care of the big behind-the-scenes stuff ASAP, because that, more so than any interview, will determine whether she wins or not.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1721373\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1721373\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harris is under increasing pressure from Republicans to engage more with the media, as they aim to disrupt the favorable period she has experienced since becoming the Democratic nominee. In the past two weeks, her visibility has grown due to her participation in various rallies, fundraisers, and campaign events following her presidential announcement. The White House has also elevated her role at official functions, including a recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, her interactions with the press have been limited; she has only had a few on-the-record exchanges with journalists. Critics from the GOP accuse her of &#8220;hiding&#8221; from scrutiny.<\/p>\n<p>Harris&#8217;s initial campaign efforts have energized Democrats after a contentious debate about President Joe Biden&#8217;s ability to effectively challenge Donald Trump led him to withdraw and endorse Harris for the race instead. Republicans are eager to diminish what some Democrats describe as a temporary boost in polling and fundraising that Harris is currently enjoying by pushing for more spontaneous speaking engagements.<\/p>\n<p>Republican strategist Brad Todd suggested that Harris\u2019s team is keeping her away from unscripted appearances due to concerns over her tendency for verbal missteps and reliance on liberal jargon. He believes they prefer voters not confront what her candidacy truly represents. Already, some Republicans are ridiculing how she handled early press interactions; for instance, Senator J.D. Vance criticized one of Harris&#8217;s statements as sounding juvenile.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, Harris has leveraged her background as a former prosecutor during high-profile moments but tends to struggle in interviews or town halls where she&#8217;s perceived as less effective\u2014such was evident when she responded awkwardly about not visiting the southern border during an NBC interview.<\/p>\n<p>As this election cycle lacks a traditional primary process, interviews will be crucial for conveying policy positions; thus far, Harris\u2019s campaign strategy appears focused on gradually increasing media exposure rather than rushing into it. Experts suggest that while this approach may be wise initially, live interviews and debates will eventually become necessary where she&#8217;ll need clarity on key issues important to swing voters.<\/p>\n<p>Despite claims of limited media engagement since Biden stepped down as 2024 Democratic nominee on July 21st\u2014wherein they assert she&#8217;s conducted 80 interviews this year\u2014a spokesperson emphasized that Vice President Harris is actively engaging voters across the country while contrasting Trump&#8217;s approach which often alienates broader audiences through controversial remarks.<\/p>\n<p>Trump himself has faced backlash over his comments during recent media appearances but continues making headlines through provocative statements aimed at his base rather than addressing wider voter concerns effectively.<\/p>\n<p>In response to criticisms regarding their strategy resembling Biden&#8217;s previous low-profile approach in 2020\u2014designed around minimizing weaknesses\u2014the Trump campaign argues that such tactics reflect an inability or unwillingness by Harris to face public opinion directly given past disapproval ratings linked with more progressive policies she previously advocated.<\/p>\n<p>Political historians recognize running a presidential campaign involves significant behind-the-scenes work which may explain why direct media engagement hasn&#8217;t been prioritized yet by Harris\u2019s team amidst staffing decisions and other logistical preparations leading up toward Election Day<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2652,"featured_media":2318898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Harris_Campaign_54612.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4021,32818,4150],"class_list":["post-2318897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-harris","tag-press-conference","tag-pressure"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Harris_Campaign_54612.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2652"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2318897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2318897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2318898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2318897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2318897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2318897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}