Vice President Kamala Harris’ reluctance to engage with the press has raised eyebrows, with some suggesting that her approach is more dismissive than former President Donald Trump’s openly antagonistic stance toward the media.
In a recent episode of “Real Time,” host Bill Maher pointed out that while Trump frequently attacked the press, labeling them as “the enemy of the people,” Harris’ silence may be sending an even stronger message.
“What do you think about the fact that Kamala doesn’t talk to the press?” Maher asked CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. He continued, “In a way, I feel like it’s more insulting than what Trump does. Trump says you’re ‘the enemy of the people,’ which is pretty bad. What she’s kind of saying is, ‘I don’t need you. I’m not talking to you. You don’t matter. You’re not relevant anymore to me.’ To me, that’s even worse than ‘I hate you.’ It’s like ‘I don’t think about you.’”
Harris, who has not held any major press conferences or interviews since being nominated as the Democratic candidate, has faced criticism for her lack of transparency and accessibility. This has led to concerns about her willingness to engage with the public and the press, particularly as she steps into a role with the potential to influence significant national and global decisions.
While some, like Collins, argue that Trump’s daily confrontations with the media were damaging in their own right, the absence of communication from Harris presents its own challenges. As Maher noted, the underlying message Harris might be sending is that the press is no longer necessary in her view, a sentiment that could have far-reaching implications for how the media interacts with the highest levels of government moving forward.