Vice President Kamala Harris is set Thursday to hold her first major sit-down interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.
As Harris continues a campaign swing through the battleground state of Georgia, she planned to hold the interview with CNN’s Dana Bash in the afternoon at an undisclosed location in Savannah, where she will later speak at a campaign rally.
The interview will air unedited in its entirety starting at 9 pm. It is not known how long it will last.
Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will join Harris for the interview, which comes after critics complained that she was avoiding questions from journalists.
Advisers say Harris has prepared extensively for the CNN interview, as is her practice for major campaign and administration events.
So, what should viewers watch for?
- The interview is another valuable opportunity for Harris to introduce herself to voters who may not know much about her. She may be able to take advantage of the unedited format to include a lot of biographical details, which could win over some voters.
- Harris has at times shown a prickly, defensive side in unscripted interviews. She will want to avoid any hint of negative reactions to Bash, even when she gets pointed questions.
- Since launching her campaign last month. Harris has successfully framed herself as a candidate of change, an implicit effort to distance herself from an unpopular President Biden. But she needs to walk a tightrope and needs to avoid any impression of snubbing her boss.
- Harris will want to show strength and confidence, especially since she is vying to become the first woman in the White House.
- Walz will want to avoid playing too big a role in the chat. He’s not the main man.
Republicans had mocked Harris for the delay in conducting an interview and also for making it a joint interview with Walz.
The Harris campaign counters that most recent campaigns have held joint interviews with both the presidential and vice presidential nominees after their conventions.
Democrats pooh-pooh the criticism over Harris’ reluctance to do interviews, noting that she has spent the last month organizing her entire presidential campaign after President Biden ended his reelection campaign and handed the baton to her.
Harris has electrified Democrats with her entry into the presidential race, quickly unifying Democratic leaders and voting blocs, and erasing the lead in polls that Trump enjoyed over Biden.