Vice President Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will give their first campaign interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash on Thursday evening in Atlanta.
Over the previous 38 days, Harris had been heavily criticized for refusing to answer substantive questions from the press or attend such an event.
In contrast, former President Trump has held at least two press conferences and participated in interviews with all political camps, including Fox News Channel.
A televised debate between Trump and Harris is scheduled for September 10.
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As the interview approaches, viewers are reminded of previous appearances, including a 2021 discussion with NBC’s Lester Holt in which Harris was criticized for her answer when asked if she would not visit the Mexican border.
“And I haven’t been to Europe, I don’t understand what you’re getting at. I’m not downplaying the importance of the border,” Harris told Holt in a moment that went viral on the Republican side of the aisle.
After Harris’ speech at the convention, the Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote that the presentation was “confident and optimistic, (but) largely devoid of political substance.”
“Whether she can keep this going unexplained and undetected for the next 12 weeks will determine whether she becomes America’s 47th president,” said the Editorial staff wrote.
In recent days, however, Harris has been able to recruit some high-profile surrogates in the election campaign.
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After former independent candidate and Democratic scion Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdrew his candidacy for president and endorsed Trump, the Harris team announced a series of joint appearances with Kerry Kennedy, Kennedy Jr.’s sister, who has been particularly vocal in criticizing her brother’s policies.
In Arizona, Kennedy appeared with union activist Dolores Huerta, who had spoken with him on stage the night Robert F. Kennedy Sr. was assassinated in Los Angeles during the 1968 election campaign.
On August 7, Republican vice presidential candidate and Senator JD Vance of Ohio told reporters he was having “a little fun” when he found himself on the same tarmac as Air Force Two in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Vance approached Harris’ aircraft and told reporters, “I just wanted to look at my future aircraft,” adding that he wanted to greet Harris and ask her why she was “refusing to answer questions from the media.”
“I have at least enough respect for all of you and for the American people to come and talk to you and answer questions.”
While she will give her first interview on Thursday, Walz’s inclusion at X sparked criticism of the announcement.
“Kamala Harris is doing a joint interview with Tim Walz on Thursday. She really can’t do an interview alone,” said OutKick founder Clay Travis.
Meanwhile, Dustin Grage, a Republican strategist from Minnesota, suggested that Walz was a “better communicator than Kamala Harris” and posted a clip of Walz sitting for an interview with a CBS affiliate.
“That’s why he’ll be her support animal in the interview with CNN on Thursday. But there’s also a reason it’s being pre-recorded, because even with simple interviews, it’s hard to remember all the lies off the top of your head.”
Before their interview, Harris and Walz took a bus tour of southern Georgia that begins and ends in Savannah. While Chatham County – where the city is located – is firmly in Democratic hands, the campaign team hopes the stops along the campaign trail will bring more voters into Harris and Walz’s ranks.
South Georgia leans Republican by and large. In southwest Georgia, longtime Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop’s seat in Warner Robins-Albany is seen as a potential but marginal gain for Republicans if they have a good election year.
According to Cook PVI ratings, the Republican seats held by Representatives Buddy Carter and Austin Scott in the region remain safely in Republican hands.
“(The bus tour provides an) opportunity to go to places we don’t normally go (and) make sure we compete in all communities,” said Michael Tyler, communications director for Harris’ campaign.
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Tyler told the Associated Press that Harris has maintained President Biden’s habit of attending informal gatherings, but the venues have changed, citing a recent stop in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, where they attended a high school football team’s practice.
Walz is a former teacher and football coach.
Georgia is also a contentious state for both parties. The Democrats have captured both seats in the US Senate in recent years, while Trump is squaring off with the otherwise popular Republican governor Brian Kemp.
The Republican candidate’s tone has reportedly changed recently, with the governor receiving praise from his longtime critic for his “help and support” in the Peach State.
“A win (here) is so important to the success of our party and, more importantly, our country,” Trump said at X.
Brian Flood of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.