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Kamala Harris appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Monday.
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CBS said former President Donald Trump had previously agreed to participate; a spokesperson denied that.
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Harris is conducting a media blitz this week that is targeting specific voter blocs.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “60 Minutes” Monday as part of a media blitz in the final days of her presidential campaign. Not featured on the CBS news program: Donald Trump.
One political scientist said Harris’ interview was unlikely to change minds, but another said former President Trump’s absence could have some impact on undecided voters.
During the interview, Harris highlighted her economic policies and differences from her opponent — though she offered no new details about a possible Harris administration.
During her campaign, Harris has faced criticism from Trump supporters and from some media outlets who claimed she had not adequately explained her platform or given enough public interviews.
Harris’ “60 Minutes” appearance comes amid a weeklong series of high-profile interviews the vice president has added to her schedule. CBS reported on Oct. 1 that Trump withdrew from the “60 Minutes” election special after initially agreeing to appear.
When asked about Trump’s apparent refusal to participate in the interview, Harris said people who want to know what he thinks should “watch his rallies.”
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said on X earlier this month that a conversation with “60 Minutes” was never completed. “There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever planned or committed,” he posted on X. “They also insisted on live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
As for Harris, a political scientist told BI that the “60 Minutes” broadcast “didn’t feel like a conversation.”
“It felt like a collage, with a whole series of cut-out pieces,” says Susan McWilliams Barndt, a professor of politics at Pomona College in California.
“The ’60 Minutes’ interview was over-edited, especially compared to Harris’ recent podcast interview on ‘Call Her Daddy,'” Barndt said.
On Sunday, Harris spoke with Alex Cooper of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. Cooper, 30, has a huge and influential platform, especially among young women, with an audience second only to “The Joe Rogan Experience” in size, Forbes reports.
Mike Nellis, Harris’ former senior adviser and organizer of “White Dudes for Harris,” said Harris’ targeted appearances — such as on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast — were a smart strategy to reach certain audiences, such as young women or suburban women. . This week, Harris will also appear on “The View,” “The Howard Stern Show” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Still, McWilliams Barndt, the Pomona professor, said Harris didn’t say anything in her “60 Minutes” interview that she hadn’t said before. “And in our fast-paced social media attention economy, you can’t get attention if you don’t say anything new,” she said.
Patricia Crouse, an adjunct professor of political science at New Haven University, said Harris held her own but was not at her best. She added that Trump’s absence from “60 Minutes” was one of the biggest points of the night.
“I think her answers, like most presidential candidates who do these types of interviews, were evasive and she didn’t answer any of the questions directly,” Crouse said. “That said, at least she showed up — and that could work well with some undecided voters. I don’t think it was in Trump’s best interest to pass on the interview.”
Read the original article on Business Insider
