Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first media interview since being named the Democratic presidential nominee on Thursday, but some critics argue that CNN's interviewer should have been tougher, similar to how he responded to former President Trump's running mate a few weeks ago.
CNN's Dana Bash conducted a pre-recorded interview with Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, that lasted a total of about 26 minutes and aired Thursday night. Harris was asked about inconsistencies in her political record, personal attacks from Trump and what she plans to accomplish on her first day in office.
Walz was asked about comments he made during the campaign about his military service, saying that while he never deployed, he had carried a weapon in war.
Some critics said they wish Bash had gone after the two men the same way he grilled Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance in a one-on-one interview a few weeks ago.
Kamala Harris gives vague 'Day One' Oval Office plans in CNN interview: 'A few things'
After completely reversing her far-left stance in 2019, Vice President Kamala Harris raised some eyebrows when she told CNN's Dana Bash that her “values haven't changed.” (Screenshot/CNN)
“Bash gets mixed reviews. He made points on some important subjects but clearly failed to follow up,” Fox News contributor Guy Benson wrote on X.
More specifically, Vanessa Santos, president of Renegade PR, told Fox News Digital on Friday, “Dana was furious when grilling JD about his 'cat girl' comments. If she had been even half as enthusiastic about the Harris Waltz interview, voters might have learned something last night.”
“Instead, she let their nonsensical answers go unexamined and unchallenged,” she said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke onstage at the International Association of Firefighters' convention in Boston on Wednesday. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
During the interview, Bash asked Walz, “You say you've carried a weapon in a war, but you've never actually deployed to a war. Campaign officials say you misspoke, but is that true?”
Walz responded, “I'm very proud. I'm just as proud to have served this country in uniform for 24 years, whether it be in Congress, as governor, or in a public school classroom. My record speaks for itself, but I think people want to know me. I speak like they do. I speak openly. I don't hide my feelings, and I speak especially passionately about kids getting shot in schools and around guns. So people know me, they know who I am, they know where my heart is, and my record, over 40 years in the public eye, speaks for itself.”
“And the idea that you said we were at war, did you say that falsely, as the campaign is saying?” Bash pressed.
“Yes, this was a school shooting and I was talking about the idea of carrying weapons of war. My wife, who's an English teacher, said my grammar isn't always good,” he said.
By contrast, in an interview with Senator Vance earlier this month, Bash spent about six minutes grilling him about how the senator had been a leading critic of Walz's portrayal of his military record, and disputed his criticism three times throughout the interview.
She also repeatedly questioned him about a comment he made in an interview a few years ago about “childless women who like cats.”
Kamala Harris must 'respond' to Americans as she fends off media, campaign adviser says
Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio, spoke during a campaign rally in Henderson, Nevada on July 30. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
But critics argued that Bash didn't ask the hard-hitting questions Americans wanted to hear in his interview with Harris and Walz on Thursday.
During one lighthearted exchange, Bash asked Harris about a viral photo of her young niece watching her speak at the Democratic National Convention.
“The speech didn't explicitly mention gender or race, but it obviously means a lot to a lot of people, and that viral photo really speaks to that. What does it mean to you?” Bash asked.
“I am running because I believe I am the best person to do this job for the people of this country at this time, regardless of race or gender,” Harris said. “But when I saw that photo, I was deeply moved.”
Bash went on to ask, “Did she talk to you about it afterwards?”
“Oh, she had a lot to talk about. She had a lot. She'd listen to anything. And she listens to anything,” Harris responded.
“Did she give you any hot takes?” Bash asked.
“Oh, absolutely,” said Harris.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speak to CNN on Thursday. (CNN)
“If you consider Dana Bash a serious journalist, she's done a bad job,” said Michael Knowles, host of the conservative talk radio show The Michael Knowles Show.
“Her job really wasn't to ask the tough questions, as she did with J.D. Vance, but rather to ensure that Kamala Harris could check the box that she endured the interview without incident,” he told Fox News Digital.
“It was almost like Dana Bash was leading the witness,” Link Lauren, a TikTok influencer and former campaign adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told Fox News Digital.
“She gave Kamala options, as if this was a multiple-choice question on the SAT,” Lauren said.
“Bash clearly has the ability to conduct in-depth interviews in the midst of a critical election cycle. It's unfortunate that she didn't apply those skills to Harris and Waltz, instead opting for a soft touch,” Santos said.
Santos added that allowing Bash to “blame Walz for lying about his military record on a 'grammatical error' appears to be a politically motivated tactic and is a disservice to the American people.”
'Anything goes': Democrats react to Kamala Harris' lack of interviews
Conversely, some have criticized Bash for leaning too far toward “right-wing talking points” and for not asking more original questions of Harris and Waltz.
Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches Media, posted on X, “The CNN interview boils down to this: Dana Bash: Why did you make the (right-wing talking point) argument? Harris/Waltz: Because (an answer they've given at least five times) Dana Bash: But is it because of (right-wing talking point)? Have you changed your mind about (right-wing talking point)?”
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz delivered some very thoughtful and insightful interviews, but the media continues to suffer from this paralyzing feeling that when they interview a Democrat, the entire conversation becomes, 'What's your response to these false Republican claims?'” said Matt McDermott, a Democratic pollster and strategist.
He added: “Structuring the interview in this way is an absolute disservice to the audience.”
Many praised Bash's performance. Howard Kurtz, host of Fox News' Media Buzz, said, “Dana Bash did a fantastic job of pressing the vice president and following up, and she does it in an understated style.”
“Dana Bash deftly navigated a tough night,” The New York Times said, adding, “It will be hard for Bash to extract much from the vice president in what the Harris campaign has set up to be a friendly atmosphere — just the three of them sitting together in a Savannah neighborhood coffee shop. But the veteran journalist had a good night.”
