A stark contrast has emerged in the willingness of the two presidential tickets to engage with the press, with the Trump-Vance campaign dwarfing their opponents in the number of interviews conducted. According to a report by Axios, former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance (R-OH) have given more than ten times the number of interviews as Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz (D-MN).
This disparity is particularly notable, as the Harris-Walz campaign is on track to set a record for the fewest interviews and press conferences by a major party’s presidential ticket in modern history. Axios suggests that Harris is deliberately avoiding interviews, possibly due to past experiences where she has struggled to articulate her policies and stances.
In the 59 days since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris has given only three interviews, a paltry number compared to Trump’s 14 interviews over the same period. Even President Biden, during the 2020 campaign, gave more interviews than Harris despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Walz has given a mere four interviews in the 44 days since joining the ticket, a stark contrast to Vance’s 59 interviews. Notably, the count only includes interviews with non-partisan and mainstream media outlets, excluding those with conservative commentators, which would have further widened the gap.
Walz’s reluctance to engage with the press marks a departure from his previous approach, as he had regularly taken questions from local journalists during his time as governor. However, since joining the ticket, he has faced criticism for a series of misstatements and exaggerations, including false claims about his military service and personal life.
Axios reported that Walz has become increasingly inaccessible to the press, with the Minnesota Star Tribune noting that he maintained a distance of at least 10 feet from reporters during a recent trip. When questioned, Walz has ignored or evaded reporters, fueling concerns that he is avoiding scrutiny.
