CNN host presses Harris camp on her avoiding media: ‘Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?’

CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed a Kamala Harris campaign spokesperson on Wednesday on why she has avoided doing a press conference, asking “would it kill you guys” to have one.

“I’m sure this is not going to be the first time you’ve heard this question, but the Trump campaign is also going after the vice president for not doing enough interviews, for not holding a press conference. Would it kill you guys to have a press conference? Why hasn’t she had a press conference?” Acosta asked. 

Harris has gone 24 days without giving a formal interview or holding a press conference since President Biden dropped out of the race and she quickly rose to take his spot.  

Harris communications director Michael Tyler laughed and said she and running mate Tim Walz had been “busy” traveling across the country, citing multiple campaign rallies. 

CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed Harris-Walz campaign communications director Michael Tyler on why Vice President Harris has dodged formal interviews since becoming the nominee. (Screenshot/CNN)

KAMALA HARRIS DECLINES TIME MAGAZINE INTERVIEW AS SHE CONTINUES TO AVOID THE PRESS

“Michael, you know a campaign really isn’t really a press conference,” Acosta pushed back. “Why hasn’t she had a press conference? She’s the vice president, she can handle the questions, why not do it?” 

Tyler said Harris was absolutely going to do it, and said she would be sitting down for one interview by the end of August. 

Acosta said that one interview before the end of the month was “not a lot,” and asked, “can you commit to a press conference by the end of the month?” 

“We will commit to directly engage with the voters who are actually going to decide this election,” Tyler responded. “And that is going to be complete with rallies, with sit-down interviews, with press conferences, with all the digital assets that we have at our disposal.”

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her Presidential Campaign headquarters in Wilmington, DE, U.S.,  July 22, 2024.   (Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS)

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CNN’s John Berman also pressed a Harris campaign spokeswoman on Tuesday over Harris’ lack of media presence, suggesting that she did have “time” for an interview, as her campaign schedule on Tuesday was free.

“The reason I was asking you about today is because it seems like she has time if she wanted to do an interview with a member of the media or do a news conference, correct? There does appear to be that time, if she wanted,” Berman said.

Adrienne Elrod, the Harris campaign spokeswoman, repeatedly insisted Harris and Walz were bringing their message directly to voters. 

“She hit a number of battleground states. I think we had 15,000 people in Detroit last week, 12 to 13,000 in Nevada. She’s been taking her message to the voters and drawing large crowds. So she’s actually having those direct conversations,” Elrod said, before Berman jumped in again. 

“But not today — all I’m saying is not today. She could do an interview today, I would think, you know, because she’s not out there today,” the CNN host said. 

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Since Walz joined the ticket last week, Trump has given a press conference at Mar-a-Lago and done a lengthy sit-down with supporter Elon Musk. His running mate JD Vance spoke to reporters multiple times in that period and appeared on three Sunday shows this week.