Fox News host Dana Perino on Friday clashed with Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign spokesman, Ian Sams, about Harris's availability to the media.
Harris has given just one interview since announcing her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on July 21. Sams said on “America's Newsroom” that Harris has answered questions from reporters throughout the campaign, but Perino disputed the spokesperson's assessment of how accessible the vice president is to the press. (Related: Kamala Harris once thought a border wall was “un-American.” Now she supports it.)
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'Ian, please': Fox's Dana Perino criticizes VP for access to press over Harris Spocks allegations pic.twitter.com/LHWIY855Jb
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“President Trump has been happy to answer any question in every interview he's ever given,” Perino said. “Isn't it a risk to bet everything on one debate when he barely has time to answer any questions outside of debate prep?”
“I deny that. She gave a lengthy interview with Dana Bash that aired on CNN exactly a week ago,” Sams responded.
Harris was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, for her only interview, which lasted just under 30 minutes. Trump and Harris are scheduled to face off in the only presidential debate scheduled for Tuesday on ABC News.
“I know people are paying attention to her because she's a presidential candidate, but as vice president she's had about 90 interviews this year that people may not have been paying attention to or listening to,” Sams continued. “She's been answering questions from reporters who have been covering her every day so far in this campaign.”
“Ian, come on,” Perino said.
A Harris campaign spokesman insisted the vice president would take part in a follow-up interview and answer further questions.
“But Ian, first of all, she hasn't done many interviews. And when she yells, 'We're well prepared for the debate,' and says that to the audience, she's not answering questions from the press,” Perino said. “Finally, don't the American voters need to hear from her directly? She wants to be commander in chief. We were paying attention to her, and you guys didn't like that either.”
“The question is, what's funny is that you're acting like she's in a witness protection program,” Sams retorted. “She's traveling through battleground states, speaking to thousands of people in packed arenas, arenas that are much more packed than President Trump would ever speak in, and people are watching it on the news and hearing her message.”
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