Vice President Harris’s first major interview since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee will air Thursday evening – a highly anticipated event that could prove pivotal to the presidential election.
Harris’s running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will join her for the interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. Harris hasn’t conducted a sit-down since President Biden ended his reelection campaign last month.
The Hill’s Alex Gangitano, Tobias Burns, Rachel Frazin and Joseph Choi have come up with five tough questions that Harris could face during the discussion.
The incumbent vice president, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and represented California in the Senate, has largely stayed out of the media spotlight while No. 2 to President Biden, so she has faced some backlash for the deeply choreographed launch to her presidential bid.
Following her speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this month, Harris’s campaigning tactics have leaned on pre-planned remarks and small groups – avoiding opportunities for unscripted moments.
Harris and former President Trump are locked in a tight race across seven battleground states, according to polling released Thursday.
The Hill/Emerson College Polling survey found Harris edging out Trump in Georgia (49 percent to 48 percent), Michigan (50 percent to 47 percent) and Nevada (49 percent to 48 percent). Trump had a slight lead in Arizona (50 percent to 47 percent), North Carolina (49 percent to 48 percent) and Wisconsin (49 percent to 48 percent). The two are tied at 48 percent in Pennsylvania. All findings fall within the margins of error.
Trump posted on Truth Social that he disagrees with the decision to have Walz at Harris’s side, arguing that it would give Walz a chance to aid with “inevitable Kamala stumbles.”
But after the Republican National Convention, Trump took part in a joint interview with his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance on Fox News.
From potential gaffes to addressing Biden, The Hill’s Niall Stanage has 5 things to watch during the interview.
Meanwhile, Harris and Trump’s teams continue to hash out a final agreement for terms of their first debate scheduled Sept. 10.
