CHICAGO, ILLINOIS–Delegates at the Democratic National Convention gave mixed answers about which media outlets they would like to see Kamala Harris give her first interview to as the party’s presidential nominee, with one delegate saying she should sit down with Breitbart News.
It has been nearly one month since Harris replaced Biden at the top of the Democratic presidential ticket, yet she has not engaged in an in-depth interview with a member of the media.
Breitbart News caught up with four delegates from around the country inside the United Center during the convention’s second day. When asked who he would like to see Harris do her first interview with, Iowa delegate and Syrian migrant Newman Abuissa said, “You guys can do it.”
“I think she should be open to interviews. I understand that she is measuring her appearances and doesn’t want to make mistakes. I think she’s smart enough, she should have strong polices enough. Maybe the Gaza War is a soft spot for her, but she needs to take three steps and then face the world.”
Abuissa is the Arab American Institute Iowa chairman and has served in the role since 2002, the University of Iowa notes. Abuissa, once a Democrat candidate for Iowa’s Second Congressional District, noted on a follow-up question that he wants to see Harris hold a press conference open to all media.
“I would like her to have a press conference open to all the media and answer questions. That is expected,” he said. “And we are looking forward to her debate with President Trump and also looking forward to the debate for the vice president. We look forward for an administration that’s proud of policies and able to win the American vote.”
Another delegate, Jan Way of Wisconsin, told Breitbart News that she would like to see Harris sit down with ABC News host and former Clinton White House communications director George Stephanopolous.
“I would say George Stephanopolous when the time comes,” Way said.
Another Wisconsin delegate, Liz McDonald, told Breitbart News the press should give Harris “a break” and that she does “an interview every time she’s out talking to people.”
“I don’t think she needs to do a specific interview. People are getting the information. The most important people that hear her are the general public, and they’re hearing it every day when she’s out,” McDonald said. “So when and if she – I’m sure she’ll do an interview sometime but, hey, give her a break.”
While Harris has been on the trail holding rallies in Rust Belt states, the forum of speech-giving is a one-way mode of communication. In other words, Harris can deliver her message uninterrupted without being challenged on specifics in this forum.
A fourth delegate, Chesterton, Iowa, City Councilwoman Erin Collins, said she was unsurprised that Harris has not sat down for a one-on-one interview a month after she supplanted Biden as the presumptive nominee at the top of the Democrat ticket.
“I mean, this is a once-in-a-generation kind of thing, so I don’t necessarily think that she was expecting this nomination to happen so quickly, so I’m not super surprised that she hasn’t had a chance to sit down and do this interview that everybody keeps talking about,” Collins said.
“She has been present. She has answered questions for the press, although maybe they’re not happy about how long the answers are,” she added. “I think that when she’s ready to do that interview, it will happen. I think that she had mentioned something about in October she was going to be setting something up.”
“So honestly, I don’t care which media organization it’s with as long as she keeps being accessible to people, and that’s kind of where I’m at with it,” Collins concluded.