Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will sit down with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday for their first joint TV interview as the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket.
The network announced Tuesday that Harris and Walz will tape the interview for airing at 9 p.m. Eastern and 6 p.m. Pacific.
Journalists and commentators have been noting for weeks on how Harris has not done a formal press interview since President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her as a replacement on July 21.
Harris will do the first interview alongside Walz as they embark on a bus tour through the swing state of Georgia. Presidential candidates have typically done their first post-convention interviews with their running mates in tow.
The selection of Bash comes after she and CNN anchor Jake Tapper moderated the June 27 presidential debate between Republican nominee former President Trump and Biden. Trump, no fan of CNN, praised the anchors for taking an even-handed approach during the event, although some critics were unhappy with the lack of real-time fact-checking.
The debate was arguably the most consequential in U.S. history as harsh reaction to Biden’s poor performance led to his withdrawal from the campaign.
Harris appeared on several networks after the debate to speak on behalf of Biden and the record of their administration. Her robust defense that night likely helped in her being elevated to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden made his decision.
But Harris has only answered a handful of reporter questions since and has not done a formal news conference.
The former attorney general and U.S. senator from California is coming off of what was widely considered a successful Democratic National Convention last week in Chicago. She has improved her standing in the polls against Trump.
Trump and Harris are scheduled to meet in a debate on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia. The event will be staged by ABC News with anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis, and shared with other broadcast and cable outlets.
