Former President Donald Trump is doubling down on his efforts to challenge Vice President Kamala Harris's media strategy, planning a second press conference in as many weeks.
Fox News reported that the event, set for Thursday at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, is aimed at contrasting Trump's transparency with Kamala Harris's media blackout. Harris has been the nominee for weeks and refuses to do interviews or speak to the media.
For three and a half weeks, Harris has been at the forefront of the Democratic ticket after taking over from President Joe Biden.
However, during this time, she has not held a formal news conference or sat down for a major interview.
This lack of media engagement has been a focal point of criticism from Trump and his supporters, who accuse Harris of avoiding the scrutiny that comes with running for the highest office in the land.
Trump has been vocal in his criticism of Harris, pointing out her absence from the media spotlight. “She hasn’t done an interview — she can’t do an interview,” Trump remarked recently.
His running mate, Senator JD Vance, echoed these sentiments, arguing that Harris’s avoidance of the press is not just a media issue but a disservice to the American people. Vance stated, “It is scandalous that Kamala Harris is running from the media. But more importantly, she’s running from the American people.”
Harris has taken a few questions from the traveling press but has not yet engaged in a comprehensive media strategy that includes formal interviews or press conferences. Despite the criticism, her campaign has committed to increasing voter engagement through various channels, including rallies and digital outreach.
In response to Trump’s planned press conference, Harris’s campaign released a mock email that criticized the former president’s media strategy.
Harris's communications director, Michael Tyler, emphasized that the campaign is focused on directly engaging with voters and promised that this would include press conferences and interviews in the near future.
Tyler said, “We will commit to directly engage with the voters that are actually gonna decide this election and that is gonna be complete with rallies, with sit-down interviews, with press conferences, with all the digital assets we have at our disposal.”
The Harris campaign has also taken aim at Trump’s agenda, labeling it as out of touch with the needs of the middle class. Campaign spokesperson James Singer criticized Trump’s ability to communicate effectively, stating, “Donald Trump can talk to whoever he wants, but he can't explain away his toxic Project 2025 agenda, speak in coherent thoughts, or offer anything but insults and higher prices to the middle class.”
As Trump continues to focus on Harris’s media strategy, some of his advisers have suggested that he should pivot to a more policy-driven campaign.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley have both advised Trump to move away from personal attacks and instead focus on Harris’s political positions.
Why Trump would listen to McCarthy or Haley, two of the biggest RINO's in the GOP, isn't clear.
McCarthy advised Trump to make the race about policy rather than personality, stating, “You’ve got to make this race not on personalities. Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.”
Despite these calls for a more policy-focused campaign, Vance defended Trump’s unfiltered approach, suggesting that this quality is part of what makes Trump appealing to his base.
“I think one of the things people actually love about Donald Trump in politics is he’s not unwilling to speak off the cuff. He says what’s actually on his mind,” Vance said, adding that policy discussions remain a central focus of the campaign.
As Trump prepares for his upcoming press conference, it remains to be seen how effective his strategy of highlighting Harris’s media silence will be in the long run. While his supporters appreciate his candidness, the broader electorate may be more interested in how each candidate plans to address the critical issues facing the country.
