NewsNation host confronts ex-Harris staffer who dodges VP's media silence on campaign trail

NewsNation host Leland Vittert confronted Vice President Kamala Harris' former associate adviser Rachel Palermo on Tuesday about why Harris has made limited press appearances since launching her 2024 campaign.

Harris has not given one single media interview from President Joe Biden finished his campaign and endorsed her to take her seat on July 21. Vittert, on “On Balance With Leland Vittert,” asked Palermo when Harris would end her media silence and continued to press her when she didn't directly answer the question.

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'Give Me An Answer': NewsNation Host Confronts Former Harris Staff Dodging VP's Media Silence During Campaign pic.twitter.com/RbZiFtiRYp

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“Nine days, he's been out. He hasn't done a single interview. Tomorrow, the National Association of Black Journalists [NABJ] issued an invitation to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris… Donald Trump is the one who shows up. Kamala Harris is not. How long will the teleprompter campaign last, fully protected?” asked Vittert.

“I'll get to that question, but first I want to express my impression of the vice president's incredible speech tonight,” Palermo said. “She had thousands and thousands of people in the crowd. That includes a week she had where she raised $200 million from donors. It was a historic amount of support that she's gotten.”

Vittert then pressed her to “answer the question” as Palermo continued to discuss the content of Harris' speech, including her “vision for the future” and abortion.

“We heard it all… When it's this candidate who talked about the importance of democracy — the importance of democracy is the importance of a press and talking to a free press — she hasn't done it in nine days. She declined all interview requests,” the NewsNation host said. “He has even rejected the Association of Black Journalists. If this was Donald Trump—and I remember when Donald Trump didn't talk to the press for three days—the republic was over and it was an assault on the media. Nine days, he got away with it.

Palermo then claimed that Harris has actively “implicated the media” during her tenure as vice president.

“Oh come on. You're entitled to your own opinion, you're not entitled to your own facts…Give me an answer!” Vittert said.

“I'll get to your question about ABJ. First, I no longer work for the vice president, but I did see in the public reports that this was a clear scheduling conflict,” Palermo said. “And I'd also like to say that in the three years I worked for her, she consistently engaged NABJ. She always gave black journalists a seat at the table.”

The NABJ24 convention will host trump for a moderated question-and-answer session while Harris can speak to the association virtually after the conference, seconds on the group's website.

“This is a woman, though, that when she's off script, she's a disaster. She was a disaster in the Lester Holt interview. You can disagree, but there's a reason why she doesn't come out in do interviews,” Vittert said. “I covered the Trump-Pence White House. Trump and Pence talked to the media all the time.”

Palermo said he staffed Harris “for hundreds of interviews,” and Vittert asked “how many network interviews” he has done.

“Many, dozens, and I'm happy to continue with the numbers. The vice-president has always prioritized the media, she has prioritized a free press”, said Palermo.

Vittert noted that Harris has only asked “one group question” since launching his campaign.

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