Vice President Kamala Harris’ 60 minutes The interview was significantly different from her other planned media appearances.

Harris’ interview with CBS News’ Bill Whitaker, which aired Monday, was one of the most difficult the vice president has endured during her 2024 campaign, as she faced questions about her economic plans, immigration and fracking.

Harris has been criticized by Republicans as well as Democrats for failing to do tough interviews, particularly with more traditional media outlets, or avoiding them altogether since becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Former President Donald Trump opted not to appear 60 minutes, citing a fact-checking dispute.

Newsweek Harris’ campaign team emailed for comment.

In August, Trump’s vice president, JD Vance, used the hashtag #WheresKamala. The vice president was interviewed by CNN in August along with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. She was also interviewed by MSNBC in September.

Former Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod recently told Politico that Harris needs to present himself across as broad a spectrum as possible, especially in key swing states.

“It’s the hardest oral exam in the world for the hardest job, and part of it is just so spontaneous – town hall meetings, all kinds of interviews and not just friendly interviews,” Axelrod said. “OTRs (on the street) where you interact with people in a substantive way, all of those things are valuable. And I would do them if I were her.”

The 60 minutes The interview aired as Harris has launched a media offensive aimed at being more unscripted than what the campaign has offered so far. This includes an interview on the topic Call her dad Podcast hosted by Alex Cooper, which aired on Sunday. The podcast is popular among women, especially younger listeners, and covers topics such as relationships, sex and women’s empowerment.

Harris used her appearance on the podcast to discuss her stance on protecting abortion rights. Some Trump supporters on social media reportedly accused the interview of being “propaganda” for Harris’ campaign.

Harris will appear on in the coming days The view, Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show, as well as on Late Night with Stephen Colbert. These talk shows are known for their lighthearted or comedic interview style, rather than the hard-hitting questions that a political candidate might receive on a news network’s programs. However, Harris is also scheduled to attend a Univision town hall event. to a Spanish-speaking audience in Las Vegas, Nevada, airing October 10.

Harris’ move to appear on podcasts and late-night shows rather than traditional news interviews is seen as a way for her to make more spontaneous and unplanned remarks than her usual campaign policy.

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said that while that could be a risk, it may be something the vice president may have to take in the final weeks of the close election.

“Everything in politics is a risk. The risk you take now is that people don’t understand what this is really about,” Carville said The Washington Post. “I would encourage them to be more aggressive and less risk-averse.”

Rob Flaherty, Harris’ deputy campaign chairman, said the vice president’s decision to conduct interviews outside the mainstream press was a strong campaign strategy and a sign of the changing media landscape.

“People have more content choices than ever before,” Flaherty posted on X on Monday. “If you consume political information, you want to consume political information. Most of the remaining voters we need to talk to don’t.”

“The fact that the trade press somehow doesn’t understand this… speaks to the reason why this fact pattern exists!”

Among the more difficult questions Harris has faced during her time in office was the question 60 minutesinterview This was the reason why the Biden administration did not respond more quickly to control the influx of migrants at the southern border.

Whitaker asked whether it was a mistake to “relax immigration policy as much as you have”?

“It’s a long-standing problem. And there are solutions. And from day one, we have literally offered solutions,” Harris said.

“We have reduced the flow of illegal immigration by half. We have reduced the flow of fentanyl by half. But we need Congress to act to actually solve the problem.”

Harris was also asked about Republicans’ claim that voters don’t know who she is because the vice president has changed her position in recent years. This includes no longer supporting the fracking ban, which she supported during her 2020 election campaign. Harris has also distanced herself from her past support of Medicare for All.

“For the last four years I have served as Vice President of the United States. And I traveled our country. And I listened to people and looked for what was possible in terms of common ground. I believe in consensus building. “That’s what we do, a diverse people,” Harris said.

“Geographically, regionally, in terms of our origins. And what the American people really want is for us to have leaders who can build consensus. Where we can find compromises and understand that this isn’t a bad thing as long as you do it.” Don’t compromise your values ​​to find sensible solutions.

Former President Donald Trump cited a dispute over fact-checking during the scheduled interview and a dispute over the 2020 interview with Lesley Stahl as reasons for the Republican’s withdrawal.

Host Scott Pelley said Monday that Trump was departing from a “more than half-century-long tradition” of gathering presidential candidates from major parties 60 minutes in October before an election.