Kamala Harris Criticized Over Move to Dodge Reporters

Vice President Kamala Harris has not held a formal solo press conference in almost 45 days since President Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection. This has led to criticism, with some suggesting that it’s a deliberate press “avoidance tactic.”

Harris was recently observed exiting a government vehicle with an earpiece connected to her cellphone—suggesting she might have been listening to something—before heading to Air Force Two for a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan. As she made her way to the plane, she briefly waved at reporters before boarding.

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These actions sparked speculation, with some suggesting that Harris was employing yet another “tactic” to avoid questions from the press.

One X user commented, “Wow. She’s pretending to be on the phone … It’s an avoidance tactic.”

Another X user remarked, “‘Remember to pretend to be on the phone as to avoid talking to anyone, and keep it moving.’”

Harris eventually sat down for an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash, which aired on Thursday. However, the interview wasn’t live, appeared to be heavily edited, and she was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who has faced credible accusations of fabricating aspects of his political and military background.

Following the interview, Harris went from being the betting favorite to win the election to falling behind former President Donald Trump.

According to Newsweek, “The vice president went from being the favorite to win with odds of 10/11 (52.4 percent) on Thursday to tied with Donald Trump on 19/20 (51.3 percent) each on Friday morning, according to the Star Sports betting company.”

The outlet further reported, “Over the same period, Trump’s odds of victory in November improved from 21/20 (48.8 percent) before the interview to 20/21 (51.2 percent), according to U.K.-based bookmaker Betfair.”

William Kedjanyi, a betting analyst from Star Sports, also commented to Newsweek, stating, “Vice President Harris is now tied at 19/20 with Republican candidate Donald Trump, drifting slightly from 10/11 yesterday. The Californian had been 5/6 in recent weeks but she has failed to surge ahead of Trump in the market.”

Kedjanyi added, “GOP supporters will hope Trump can now go on to tip the balance in his favor before November’s presidential election.”

A separate poll revealed that while Harris maintains a slight lead over Trump nationally, she did not experience a significant polling bump from the Democratic National Convention.

The poll, released on Sunday by ABC News/Ipsos, showed Harris leading Trump 50 percent to 46 percent among registered voters nationwide. The gap widened slightly among likely voters, with Harris at 52 percent and Trump at 46 percent.

However, the pollsters noted that despite Harris’s national lead, she did not see a boost from her party’s four-day convention in Chicago. Additionally, the poll indicated that the endorsement of Trump by former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had minimal impact, although internal polling from the Trump campaign suggested that RFK Jr.’s support had slightly moved the needle in key states.

The poll further stated:

New ABC News/Ipsos polling conducted after the Democratic National Convention finds Vice President Kamala Harris has a slight lead over former President Donald Trump among Americans who plan to vote in November’s election, statistically unchanged from earlier in August. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s departure from the race and endorsement of Trump makes no difference to most Americans. On the topic of campaigns, a majority feel Harris is running her campaign well, while fewer feel the same about Trump. However, Americans continue to trust Trump more than Harris on the economy, inflation, and immigration.

Nationally, the RealClearPolitics average of polling shows Harris leading Trump by 1.8 points. However, in the average of battleground state polling, Harris’s lead is much slimmer—only 0.3 percent, according to RCP.

Despite this, Trump currently holds 291 electoral votes compared to Harris’s 208, with 111 electoral votes still undecided, according to the analytical site. Additionally, the Senate currently leans in favor of Republicans over Democrats, 50-46, with four seats considered toss-ups, as noted by RCP.