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Kamala Harris will give her first post-convention interview to CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz hold a campaign rally
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz hold a campaign rally at University of Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center on Aug. 10.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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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 that Harris has not done a formal media interview since President Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her as a replacement on July 21.

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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 postconvention interviews with their running mates in tow.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and other stars are staying on message as they play to the Democratic faithful in Chicago.

The selection of Bash comes after she and CNN anchor Jake Tapper moderated the June 27 presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Biden. Trump, no fan of CNN, praised the anchors for taking an evenhanded 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.

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Harris appeared on several networks after the debate to speak on behalf of Biden and the record of their administration. The vice president’s robust defense that night probably helped in her elevation to the top of the Democratic ticket after Biden made his decision.

But Harris has answered only 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.

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Trump and Harris are scheduled to 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.

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