Washington Post pushes Harris to answer 'legitimate questions' about her flip-flops, agenda
Harris has largely avoided interacting with the press and has not given a formal press conference or interview since becoming the nominee
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The left-leaning Washington Post editorial board argued that Vice President Harris, who has quickly succeeded President Biden as her party's nominee, needs to engage more openly with voters and with the media.
"If she hopes to prevail, Ms. Harris needs to present her ideas," The Post wrote in an editorial published on Sunday. "The media and public have legitimate questions, and she should face them. This is a political necessity — Mr. Trump is already turning her avoidance of the media into an attack line. And elections aren’t just about winning. They’re about accumulating political capital for a particular agenda, which Ms. Harris can’t do unless she articulates one."
Harris is facing increasing pressure to answer questions from the media after largely dodging questions and interview requests, save for brief gaggles with her traveling press corps.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prior to Thursday, Harris went 18 days without taking press questions and continues to dodge formal media engagements. She even declined an interview opportunity with TIME, which published a gushing piece about her "reintroduction" on Monday.
The editorial board wrote that it might be "tempting" for Harris "to stay as vague on the issues as possible, for as long as possible, to avoid giving fodder to the opposition or dividing her supporters," she still has to grapple with making a serious case as to her policy positions. (Jim Vondruska / Stringer)
The board called out Harris for blatantly switching positions on a number of key topics for her 2024 campaign, including border security, fracking and health care.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"All of this moves her toward more popular positions," the aper wrote. "Still, it’s a lot of mind-changing for the public to absorb without further explanation. Without hearing Ms. Harris articulate her thought process, she runs the risk of leaving voters to wonder whether she is just shifting with the political winds, or, indeed, planning to revert to previous positions after she’s won the presidency. Why, for instance, did she embrace Mr. Trump’s idea to exempt tips from taxation?"
The editorial board wrote that it might be "tempting" for Harris "to stay as vague on the issues as possible, for as long as possible, to avoid giving fodder to the opposition or dividing her supporters," but she still has to grapple with making a serious case as to her policy positions.
The Post also listed a series of questions that it said Harris still needs to answer, including whether she asked Biden to "keep some U.S. troops in the country" when he decided to pull out of Afghanistan. On the Israel-Hamas war, Harris needs to explain if she believes in being "tougher on Israel and more sympathetic to the Palestinians," especially after she announced her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Post also listed a series of questions that it said Harris still needs to answer, including whether she asked Biden to "keep some U.S. troops in the country" when he decided to pull out of Afghanistan. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
"The ‘vibe’ around the vice president’s campaign launch has been undeniably strong among Democrats, but she can’t bask in it forever," The Post continued. "The more substance Ms. Harris can offer before the election, the more control she will have over what voters think of her and the more of a mandate she would have to govern should she prevail in November."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Harris campaign didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last week, the Harris campaign told Fox News Digital it was conducting a strategy to best reach voters when asked about its lack of press availability.
"With under 90 days to go, the Vice President’s top priority is earning the support of the voters who will decide this election," a spokesperson said. "In a limited time period and a fragmented media environment, that requires us being strategic, creative, and expeditious in getting our message to those voters in the ways that are most impactful – through paid media, on the ground organizing, an aggressive campaign schedule, and of course interviews that reach our target voters. It’s a far cry from Trump’s losing, ineffective strategy of rage-posting, accosting reporters, and insulting the voters he’ll need to win."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Yael Halon contributed to this report.