What to know about Harris’ first major interview as presidential candidate | US Election 2024

This Thursday, Kamala Harris will give her first major interview since launching her presidential campaign after Joe Biden’s dramatic exit from the race.

It follows weeks of demands from Republicans and members of the media for the presidential candidate to answer questions.

The vice president and her running mate, Tim Walz, will be interviewed together by CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday afternoon, in an event that will air in prime time on Thursday night.

Despite the significant media attention and growing support she has received since entering the race, Harris has yet to give a formal interview or hold a press conference. She has answered only a few questions from reporters on the ground.

In early August, she committed to scheduling an official interview before the end of the month.

Here’s what else you need to know about Harris-Walz’s CNN interview.

Who is the interview with?

Dana Bash, CNN’s chief political correspondent and anchor, will interview Harris and Walz.

Earlier in the election cycle, Bash, along with Jake Tapper, moderated the June presidential debate between Biden and Donald Trump.

The president’s performance in the June debate left viewers surprised and supporters horrified, as he spoke in a raspy voice, slurred his syntax and repeatedly lost his train of thought. He failed to present an effective argument to a jubilant Trump. It marked the beginning of the end of his reelection campaign.

When is the interview broadcast?

The interview will air at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.

The Guardian’s political journalists will cover the interview, including via a live blog on Thursday evening.

Where does the interview take place?

CNN will record the interview from the key state of Georgia, which will air in prime time.

Harris and Walz are on a two-day bus tour of Georgia that will conclude Thursday with a rally by Harris in Savannah.

What CNN said about the interview

“There are a lot of questions she has to answer as we go into this fall campaign,” CNN political director David Chalian said after announcing the interview on the network Tuesday.

“We’ve been waiting to see this next big hurdle that Kamala Harris and her campaign are going to overcome,” Chalian added, noting that Harris and Walz managed to rally the party, raise tons of money and host a successful Democratic National Convention.

“This is all very well written,” he said. “This is the first time she’s answered questions.”

“Now is an opportunity to hear him ruminate out loud,” Chalian said, “with Dana asking him questions about his policy positions, his plans for the future, his plans for the country, in an unscripted setting — and, of course, to see members of the Democratic ticket interact with each other.”

What else to know

The interview will be the first joint interview with Harris and Walz, and the first for Harris in more than a month.

Thursday’s appearance on CNN is just an interview and is unlikely to quell attacks from Trump, his running mate, J.D. Vance, and other Republicans who claim Harris and Walz can’t handle the scrutiny of the press.

In a tweet earlier this week, JD Vance said Harris “wants a promotion but refuses to interview for the job.”

It is not yet known when Harris will give a solo interview, or whether the couple will schedule other media meetings.

What is the future of the American electoral calendar?

The next presidential debate is scheduled for September 10, and both Harris and Trump have confirmed their attendance. However, in recent days, the Trump and Harris teams have engaged in a back-and-forth, with both teams arguing over the rules that have been agreed upon.

The dispute centers on the issue of microphone muting, which the Biden campaign made a condition of its decision to accept all debates this year.

A debate between Vance and Walz has been confirmed for October 1.

Voters will go to the polls on November 5.