Kamala Harris' past 'damaging moments' on her team's mind as she has yet to speak to the press, reporter says
NOTUS reporter Jasmine Wright told MSNBC on Thursday that Kamala Harris' past "damaging moments" are on her team's mind as the vice president dodges formal media engagements.
"I think the public is expecting, or certainly the media, is expecting her to engage more with reporters now that she has replaced Biden at the top of the ticket," Wright said.
After President Biden dropped out of the race last month, Harris quickly rose to take his place atop the ticket as Democrats coalesced around her. Harris has not granted any interviews or held formal press conferences since ascending as the party's nominee.
"We’ve seen some, kind of, damaging moments when speaking to the press, particularly that first interview she did in 2021 with Lester Holt about her work on immigration," Wright said of the infamous moment when Harris scrambled as she was pressed on visiting the southern border.
"I think that is something that’s always been on the mind of her office, and the vice president herself, of course, we’ve reported that she has been doing some media training," Wright added.
Wright was also asked if Harris would be holding her own press conference soon.
"I think that is actually the question of the hour. So it is not that she hasn’t engaged the press, but it’s certainly been on the vice president’s own terms, as it has kind of been for the last three years as she’s been vice president. She goes back and she talks to the press on the plane. Those are typically off-the-record comments," Wright said.
"If she does want to make a statement on the news of the day, we’ve seen her approach the press under the wing of Air Force Two to give a statement, but then she turns away before answering any questions," Wright continued.
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CNN's Van Jones said Harris' apparent avoiding of the press "can't last," arguing that all nominees for president needed to make themselves as available as possible.
Harris selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday, and the two appeared in Philadelphia for a rally after the official announcement.
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.