Commentator Stephen A. Smith criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her lack of media engagement since her nomination, emphasizing that she has only participated in “pep rallies” and has not held any press conferences or interviews.
Smith argued that voters have the right to question Harris about her record and connected her lack of accountability to the absence of a primary challenge in the Democratic Party.
His comments reflect widespread concern about Harris’s visibility, particularly after Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
It’s been 23 days since Joe Biden ended his candidacy.
It’s been 7 days since Kamala Harris was formally named the Democratic presidential nominee.
She has yet to sit for an interview with ANY media outlet.
And she has answered less than 5 total questions from the press.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) August 13, 2024
“The only [expletive] place we’ve seen Kamala Harris is at these pep rallies,” Smith said. “Not one single press conference, not one single one-on-one sit-down interview where somebody gets to question you about the questions that we ask. That’s not fair.”
“It is perfectly within your right to ask her about her record because she is attached to the Biden record, which is definitely apropos, especially when you were bragging about the record,” he said. “We didn’t really get to make that choice about Joe Biden because there was no primary,” he added.
“I cannot stand, I adamantly despise athletes, youngsters being held accountable to the degree that politicians are held accountable,” he said. “But enough of this with the rallies, the scouts, I don’t care that 15,000 people showed up,” he said. “I wanna see some [expletive] interviews. I wanna see you answer some questions.”
Additionally, other media figures, including CNN’s Chris Cillizza, have noted her silence, highlighting that she has not answered many questions from the press in the weeks following her formal nomination.
“It’s been 23 days since Joe Biden ended his candidacy. It’s been 7 days since Kamala Harris was formally named the Democratic presidential nominee. She has yet to sit for an interview with ANY media outlet. And she has answered less than 5 total questions from the press,” Cillizza said.
As pressure mounts for Harris to engage with the media, all eyes are on her upcoming appearance at the Democratic National Convention, where she will officially become the party’s nominee amid ongoing protests from progressives dissatisfied with the party’s stance on various issues.
