MSNBC analyst Michael Steele lashed out at Democrats and the press for placing stress on Vice President Kamala Harris to have interaction extra with the media, arguing Harris was being unfairly handled in comparison with her 2024 opponent, former President Trump.
“I don’t see Donald Trump doing sit-downs and press conferences with the mainstream media each week,” Steele mentioned throughout a Friday interview on MSNBC.Â
“So let’s cease — let’s maintain her to the identical customary we’re holding Donald Trump. As a result of Donald Trump isn’t providing you with something besides a rally by which he dribbles and — and nods off and simply goes off on — on tangents. And the press accepts that. And but they have a look at her and say, ‘Nicely, how come you’re not, , giving us extra of what we would like?’ Nicely, as quickly as you get it from Donald Trump, she’ll give it to you,” the previous RNC chairman continued.
Trump and his working mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have sat down for at the least 63 interviews because the Harris-Walz ticket was shaped, in comparison with solely 23 non-scripted interviews for the Democratic presidential ticket to date.
DEMOCRATS WORRY ABOUT HARRIS’ CAUTIOUS MEDIA APPROACH IN TIGHT 2024 RACE: ‘VOTERS DESERVE BETTER’
MSNBC analyst Michael Steele ripped Democrats and the press for demanding extra entry from the Harris marketing campaign, throughout a Friday interview on MSNBC. (MSNBC/Getty)
Harris nonetheless has not held a proper press convention since changing President Biden because the Democratic nominee, whereas Trump has held 5 because the starting of September.
With simply over a month to go till Election Day, some Democrats and media critics are warning the Harris-Walz marketing campaign that their technique may backfire with voters who’re nonetheless unsure in regards to the Democratic candidate.
After the vice presidential debate final week, a number of media commentators argued Harris’ working mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, appeared unprepared due to his general lack of media publicity on the nationwide stage.
On MSNBC on Friday, host Chris Jansing requested Steele if Harris was being “sensible” together with her restricted media method this near the election.
“Sure, sure, sure, a thousand instances sure,” Steele mentioned, earlier than dismissing these issues.
“It’s Democrats being Democrats and it’s the mainstream media being the mainstream media. They wish to be coddled. They wish to present that they bought the connection, they bought the in,” he mentioned.Â
HARRIS LEADS TRUMP BY 2 IN NATIONAL POLL, BUT SHOWS VULNERABILITIES WITH NON-WHITE VOTERS
Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, greets supporters throughout a marketing campaign occasion at Cochise Faculty Douglas Campus on September 27, 2024 in Douglas, Arizona. ((Picture by Justin Sullivan/Getty Pictures))
Steele argued that the vp’s marketing campaign shouldn’t be in comparison with previous presidential campaigns, as a result of Harris emerged because the presidential nominee so late within the election cycle. He mentioned she was being selective in her media appearances with the restricted time left till election day.
“On the finish of the day, you’re speaking 140 days to run a nationwide presidential marketing campaign. She’s bought to be specific with the targets. If she had an additional 400 days, everyone would get touched within the mainstream media and within the Democratic Get together. This isn’t the Hillary marketing campaign of 2016, this isn’t Joe Biden’s marketing campaign of 2020,” he mentioned.
“I believe she’s centered the place she must be, and the Democrats must cease appearing like Democrats, get your behind on the bottom, arrange, end up your vote. It is advisable overwhelm the poll field on November 5, as a result of that’s the tip recreation. And don’t fear a couple of press convention right this moment. It is advisable fear about what number of voters you bought turning out on November 5,” he continued.
Harris marketing campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz defended the marketing campaign’s media technique in a press release to NBC Information Friday.
“Our job for the ultimate stretch of this marketing campaign is guaranteeing that [Harris’] profitable imaginative and prescient reaches the undecided voters who will determine this election in locations and methods that may really attain them. That will look completely different in right this moment’s evolving media atmosphere than prior campaigns, however coupled with marketing campaign occasions, aggressive organizing and a historic paid media marketing campaign, it’s a profitable method,” Munoz mentioned.
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle interviews Kamala Harris (Screenshot/MSNBC)
Harris has stepped up her interviews in current weeks, together with doing radio hits, a solo sit-down with a Philadelphia TV station and an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle.
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Fox Information’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
