CNN anchor Jim Acosta cornered Michael Tyler, communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, asking what possible reason they could have for not doing a press conference.
Noting that Harris has been the Democratic Party’s de facto nominee for over three weeks — rising to the top of the 2024 ticket after a horrible debate performance resulted in President Joe Biden being effectively forced out of the race — Acosta asked why the vice president has continued to avoid interviews and even direct questions from the media.
WATCH:
CNN: “Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?”
HARRIS SPOX: Kamala holds rallies so she can read from her teleprompter!
CNN: “A campaign rally is not a press conference.”
HARRIS SPOX: “We’re gonna be having a sit-down interview here before the end of the month.”… pic.twitter.com/TaVI6qLGci
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 14, 2024
“Would it kill you guys to have a press conference?” Acosta asked. “Why haven’t you had a press conference?”
Tyler laughed, and then replied, “Listen, the vice president and Governor Walz have been busy criss-crossing this country since the launch of this campaign and adding Governor Walz to the ticket, you saw the ways in which they went to — across the battleground states last week generating rallies of thousands, ten thousand here, 15 thousand there —”
“But you know, a campaign rally is not a press conference,” Acosta pointed out. “Do you mind if I cut in? A campaign rally is not a press conference. Why hasn’t she had a press conference? She’s the vice president, she can handle the questions. Why not do it?”
“We absolutely are going to do it,” Tyler replied, claiming, “You hear her take questions as she’s out on the stump, and she said last week, we’re going to be having a sit-down interview before the end of the month. What she is going to be focused on and what this campaign is going to be focused on is communicating directly with the voters that are actually going to decide the pathway to 270 electoral votes.”
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Acosta did not appear to be convinced, pushing back: “Can you commit to a press conference this week?”
Tyler ignored the question, instead talking about a planned bus tour to Pennsylvania and repeating Harris’ claim that she would sit down for an interview by the end of August.
“One interview by the end of the month,” Acosta repeated. “I don’t want to belabor this, but one interview by the end of the month, I mean, that’s not a lot. I mean, can you commit to a press conference before the end of the month?”
Tyler dodged again, promising only to “directly engage with the voters who are going to decide this election.”
In the weeks since the Democratic Party punted Harris to the top of the ticket, she has actively avoided direct questions and interviews and instead has relied on a mostly-friendly media landscape to help her reinvent herself with no real scrutiny.
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