Kamala Harris announces her first solo broadcast interview since the Democratic nomination

Vice President Kamala Harris will be interviewed by Stephanie Ruhle in Pittsburgh on Wednesday evening. It will be her first one-on-one interview on a network since she accepted the Democratic nomination.

The interview will air on MSNBC at 7 p.m. ET and coincides with Harris’ fourth visit to the region since launching her campaign, according to a press release from the Harris campaign. Pennsylvania is a key swing state; no Democrat has won the White House without it since 1948.

MSNBC’s announcement followed criticism of the lack of media interviews given by the Vice President. Axios and The Telegraph In early September, it was revealed that the Harris-Walz campaign team gave fewer interviews than any other candidate in modern history.

According to Axios, Harris and Walz have yet to hold a press conference. Trump has given three so far and Vance twelve.

Vance responded to news of Harris’ MSNBC interview in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “This is truly pathetic for someone who wants to be president. Ruhle has explicitly endorsed Harris. She will not ask tough questions. Kamala is shying away from tough questions because she can’t defend her record. If you want open borders and high food prices, vote for the status quo, Kamala.”

Ruhle is a frequent critic of Trump and has voiced criticism of the former president on social media. She has spoken positively about Harris and her campaign on social media.

Last week, Ruhle appeared on Bill Maher’s show to discuss Harris’ candidacy. Maher said he was an undecided voter and wasn’t sure if he wanted to vote for Harris because he thought she “didn’t really know exactly what she wanted to do as president.”

He added that it would be “great” if Harris would interview Rhule or George Stephanopoulos.

In response, Ruhle said: “Kamala Harris is not running for perfection, she is running against Trump, we have two options.”

“There are some things you may not know the answers to, and in 2024, unlike 2016, for many Americans, we know exactly what Trump will do, who he is and what kind of threat he poses to democracy.”

Wednesday’s interview will be broadcast as part of a two-hour special edition of All In with Chris Hayesaccording to Deadline.

Harris has given several interviews to local media and podcasts, and in August she was interviewed on CNN along with Tim Walz. The interview was moderated by Dana Bash and aired as a one-hour primetime special.

On September 19, Harris was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey as part of a live-streamed event. Harris was also interviewed by the National Association of Black Journalists and gave a solo interview to local Philadelphia station 6ABC.

According to Fox News, Harris will unveil further plans for her “opportunity economy” on Wednesday, responding in part to Trump’s economic speech in Georgia on Tuesday.

Harris received the support of 400 independent economists and economic policy experts on Tuesday, according to the Harris campaign team.

In a statement issued with NewsweekThe campaign said: “With both Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump scheduled to speak on the economy this week, more than 400 independent economists and economic policy experts have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, praising her vision of an opportunity economy that supports middle-class families and small businesses.”

CNN polls show that four in 10 Pennsylvania voters see the economy as the most important issue in the election, making it one of Harris’ key talking points.

Do you have a story Newsweek should report? Questions about this story? Contact [email protected].