‘Calm Down!’: Harris Delivers Brief Remarks After Dodging Media
Vice President Kamala Harris has not conducted a formal press conference since President Joe Biden launched his reelection campaign last month, sparking growing dissatisfaction among reporters eager for more access to her.
Earlier this week, while preparing to board Air Force Two in Michigan, Harris paused to address some questions. The buildup of frustration from reporters became apparent as they raised their voices, prompting Harris to respond with, “Calm down!”
Here’s a summary of the interaction:
Q: Madam Vice President! Madam Vice President!
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m coming over. Calm down!
Q: She’s like, “I’m coming.” (Laughter.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: What do you got?
Q: President Trump held a press conference today and spoke on various topics. Do you have a reaction to what he said?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m glad he has finally agreed to a debate on September 10th. I’m looking forward to it and hope he attends.
Q: Are you open to having more debates?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m happy to discuss additional debates after September 10th.
Q: He suggested two more debates.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Like I said, I’m open to having that conversation.
Q: Why do you think he backed out of the debate with you? What’s your opinion?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’m not here to speculate about what’s going through his mind.
Anything else?
Q: Can you respond to some of his other critiques? He made quite a few today.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I didn’t catch them — I was too busy engaging with voters.
Q: Some of his remarks were about your vice presidential pick, saying Vance left the National Guard after 24 years and claimed he deserted his own troops. How do you respond to that?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have great respect for anyone who chooses to serve our country, and I think we all should recognize that.
Q: Madam Vice President, there’s been a lot of curiosity about when you’ll be sitting down for your first interview as the nominee.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’ve spoken with my team, and we’re aiming to schedule an interview by the end of the month.
AIDE: Thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay, thanks.
Q: Any thoughts on the recent criticism of your husband’s faith?
WATCH:
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has regained a slight lead over Vice President Kamala Harris in a new national poll, potentially indicating that the “honeymoon” period Harris experienced with voters after Biden withdrew from the race in July may be coming to an end.
According to the latest Fox News poll, Trump is leading Harris by a narrow 1-point margin, 50% to 49%, within the poll’s margin of error. Last month, Harris also trailed Trump by just one point, 48-49%—a result similar to President Joe Biden's previous standing in the race.
Several major events have occurred since the last survey. Trump survived an assassination attempt, selected Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, and formally secured the Republican nomination at the GOP convention. On the Democratic side, Harris replaced Biden as the party’s nominee without receiving any primary votes.
Support for Harris among Democrats stands at 94%, while 93% of Republicans back Trump. Among Independents, Trump leads by 8 points.
Both candidates maintain strong backing from their 2020 supporters, with Trump retaining 95% and Harris holding 93% of Biden voters. New voters, who did not vote in the previous four general elections, are now evenly divided at 49% for each candidate, a shift from the previous month when these voters preferred Trump over Biden by 7 points.
There is a noticeable 22-point gender gap: Men favor Trump by 12 points, while women support Harris by 10 points, according to the report.
In a broader look at the presidential ballot, both Harris and Trump received 45% of the vote, while Kennedy garnered 6%, and other candidates earned 1% each. Kennedy's support has dwindled from 10% in July and a high of 15% in November 2023. Among those supporting Harris in the one-on-one matchup, 7% have switched to third-party candidates, compared to 9% of Trump supporters.
Harris holds a slight edge in personal likability, with 48% viewing her favorably and 51% unfavorably, giving her a 3-point negative rating.
In contrast, Trump has a 6-point negative rating, with 47% viewing him favorably and 53% unfavorably. Despite this, these are his best approval numbers in over four years. Both candidates' ratings have improved since last month, when Harris had a 10-point negative rating and Trump was down by 12 points.
President Biden's popularity has fallen significantly, with a 38% favorable rating and a 61% unfavorable rating—his lowest since before becoming Barack Obama’s running mate in 2008.
Among other figures, Walz is viewed positively by 41% of voters, with 39% viewing him negatively, and 16% unfamiliar with him.
Vance, however, faces a 13-point negative rating, with 38% viewing him favorably and 51% unfavorably, and 9% unfamiliar with him.
Notably, 21% of Republicans have a negative view of Vance, while only 10% of Democrats hold a negative opinion of Walz.