Today in Pennsylvania, Vice President Kamala Harris will sit for an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. The interview will air in the 7 pm eastern hour tonight on the network.
This is smart. Here’s why:
Harris remains a largely undefined figure for about 3 in 10 Americans. Interviews like this one — which will get massive amounts of publicity — are a way to get her better known on her own terms.
Ruhle is, yes, an MSNBC host. But she’s not some giant liberal who will be seen as a Harris ally unwilling to ask any hard questions. This is not Donald Trump going on Sean Hannity’s show. Or calling into “Fox & Friends.” This is a real interview with a real journalist — and will be covered as such.
Ruhle’s background is in financial reporting. Harris is delivering an economic speech today in Pittsburgh. Add it up and you get this: The interview is likely to be A LOT about the economy — what Harris thinks about it and what she will do about it. Given that the economy is the #1 issue for voters, hearing from Harris on it — with 41 days left until the election — is critical.
I will, obviously, watch the interview. And go through the transcript line by line. But the very idea of it is strategically smart for Harris — and shows that she and her campaign know what they are doing and what they have to do.
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The Morning: A smart media move by Kamala Harris