Axelrod encourages Harris to do more interviews: 'Flood the zone'
Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod argued on CNN this week that Vice President Kamala Harris needs to do more media interviews in the remaining weeks of her presidential campaign.
During an appearance on CNN's "Inside Politics" Friday, Axelrod told anchor Kasie Hunt he agrees with the Harris campaign’s recent assessment that Harris needs to do media interviews "as much as possible" before Nov. 5.
"I would flood the zone, and particularly in these battleground states, go on those local TV and radio stations. Make yourself a ubiquitous presence," Axelrod said.
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Much of the criticism of Harris’ presidential campaign, coming from both her political opponents and the mainstream media, is that she has been reluctant to do unscripted interviews and press conferences since she replaced President Biden on the ticket.
As of Thursday, both Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., have done a combined 15 interviews, while former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have done a combined 55.
In the wake of widespread criticism on this issue, Harris campaign senior communications adviser Brian Fallon told Politico in a podcast interview this week that people need to relax about what media appearances Harris has or hasn’t done and assured the outlet she will do as many as possible in the coming weeks.
"People should not read too much into what some have described as a shortage or a lack of interviews in the first, like, six weeks of the campaign," he said.
"We had a lot to do in the first seven weeks and now, in the remaining weeks of the campaign, being out there and being everywhere as much as possible is a strategic imperative," Fallon added.
Hunt invited Axelrod to weigh in on Fallon’s words. The commentator agreed with them, stating that Harris needs to do as many interviews as she can with the time remaining.
"Well, absolutely. I think she should be doing more, you know? This is the most exhaustive oral exam for any job on the planet – for the most important job on the planet. And part of it is unscripted interactions, taking questions. People want to see how you react to these and it’s part of the way they judge you," he said.
The former Obama adviser rated Harris’ interview performances up to this point, stating, "She’s done very, very well so far, but a little more of that I think is really important."
Elsewhere, he reassured the campaign that racking up interviews will only help. "You will actually gain something from doing it," he said.