Vice President Kamala Harris to Appear in First Major Interview with CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris to Make Major Media Appearance

Vice President Kamala Harris has confirmed her first significant interview since emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president five weeks ago. This highly anticipated event will take place on Thursday in Georgia, where Ms. Harris will be joined by her running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota.

The interview will be conducted by Dana Bash, the CNN anchor who co-moderated the intense debate in June between President Joe Biden and former President Donald J. Trump. CNN plans to tape this joint appearance on Thursday afternoon and broadcast it that evening at 9 PM Eastern Time.

The timing and location of Ms. Harris’s first extensive conversation with mainstream media has been a topic of considerable discussion. Critics have pointed out her reluctance to engage in unscripted interviews, with only a few spontaneous interactions occurring during her campaign outings, which offered limited chances for thorough questioning regarding her policy positions.

Supporters of Ms. Harris argue that she is being strategic with her media engagement, especially considering the rapid pace of her campaign. They note that she effectively utilized last week’s prime-time Democratic National Convention to control the narrative around her introduction to American voters.

However, detractors, including Mr. Trump, have accused the Vice President of evading scrutiny. The former President has conducted numerous interviews across a wide range of traditional and nontraditional media platforms, consistently claiming that Ms. Harris is reluctant to face tough questions.

Within the television news landscape, Thursday’s interview represents a significant opportunity for both Ms. Bash and CNN, who have already played a pivotal role in shaping this year’s political discourse. The network’s debate in June, hosted by Ms. Bash and Jake Tapper, triggered a wave of anxiety among Democrats, ultimately leading to Mr. Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.

In selecting which news anchor to engage with first, Ms. Harris and her team had to consider multiple factors:

• Appearing on MSNBC, a channel known for its passionate liberal audience, might have been perceived as an easy way out for some voters.
• Democratic leaders are cautious about granting interviews to Fox News.
• ABC News is already scheduled to host next month’s debate between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump.
• CBS News is set to moderate the vice-presidential debate on October 1 between Mr. Walz and Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.

Ms. Bash, 53, who anchors “Inside Politics” on CNN, has a long history with the network, having started as a producer shortly after her college graduation. She has been a key figure in the channel’s campaign coverage since the year 2000. Both Ms. Bash and Mr. Tapper received acclaim for their handling of the June debate, where they took a backseat as the candidates engaged in a lively exchange onstage.