CNN lands first big Kamala Harris interview

Let’s start here: Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris doesn’t have to give a big interview.

She hasn’t done one yet and yet she keeps climbing in the polls. The ones yelling the loudest for her to sit down for a major interview are her critics and some of those in the media. Her supporters, who seem to grow more passionate by the day, don’t seem to mind that her public appearances consist of prepared remarks.

But the pressure was growing for her to sit down with someone. Three weeks ago in a quick huddle with reporters on an airport tarmac, Harris did say she wanted to do an interview by the end of the month. Well, the end of the month is later this week.

It appears she will beat her deadline.

CNN announced Tuesday that it has landed the first interview with Harris since Harris became the Democratic nominee for president. Harris, along with running mate Tim Walz, will be interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday at 9 p.m Eastern.

CNN’s Michael Williams and Kevin Liptak wrote, “The 37 days since her candidacy began have generated a swell of enthusiasm and momentum for Harris, including at last week’s convention in Chicago. But her lack of a formal news conference or interview has generated criticism from her Republican rivals.”

Earlier on Tuesday, before CNN’s announcement, there was plenty of buzz about if or when Harris would do an interview, and who it might be with.

Politico’s Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade wrote, “Harris campaign staff have been asking reporters who they think she should talk to. Behind the scenes, TV producers from big name anchors have been calling the campaign to pitch their talent as the person she has to do it with.”

There were plenty of candidates to land the interview. The three evening news anchors — Lester Holt (NBC), David Muir (ABC), Norah O’Donnell (CBS) — surely would have been in the conversation, as would morning show hosts such as Savannah Guthrie (NBC), Gayle King (CBS) and Robin Roberts (ABC).

Cable news anchors such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Abby Phillip, Kaitlan Collins and Jake Tapper could have been selected, but in the end, it will be Bash, who has a reputation for being a fair, but tough interviewer. Interestingly, Bash co-moderated the Trump-Joe Biden debate that went so poorly for Biden that it sparked calls for him to drop out of the race. Bash, however, had nothing to do with Biden’s abysmal performance.

Also of note is that Harris will do the interview with running mate Tim Walz, which isn’t necessarily unusual, but maybe not preferable to those who want to see Harris on her own in what will be the first major interview since becoming the Democratic nominee.

As far as what we might see in the interview, Politico talked with former Harris communications adviser Ashley Etienne, who said Harris should have three goals.

“The first goal would be to peel back some layers on the vice president and show some new dimensions to her,” Etienne said.

The second goal would be to discuss policy, and the third goal is to show her “visually as commander-in-chief.”

And Bash’s goal? To get Harris, in particular, to discuss specifics of what her presidency would look like.

Speaking of interviews …

“CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell has scored another major interview, this one with Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The interview will air this Sunday on “CBS News Sunday Morning.” Portions of the interview aired on Tuesday’s “CBS Evening News.”

In the first notable clip from the interview, Jackson told O’Donnell that she was “concerned” about the court’s decision to give immunity to sitting presidents for actions they take while president. That was a victory for former President Donald Trump in fighting one of his indictments. Jackson wrote the dissenting opinion in the recent 6-3 decision.

Jackson told O’Donnell, “I was concerned about a system that appeared to provide immunity for one individual under one set of circumstances when we have a criminal justice system that had ordinarily treated everyone the same.”

O’Donnell also asks Jackson if she was prepared for the upcoming presidential election to end up before the Supreme Court.

Jackson said with a laugh, “As prepared as anyone can be. Let me ask you, are you prepared for all of the news cycles that you’re getting as a result of this election?”

O’Donnell said, “Um, no.”

To which Jackson said, “No, exactly. I mean, I think there are legal issues that arise out of the political process. And so, the Supreme Court has to be prepared to respond — if — if that should be necessary.”

Interviewing a Supreme Court Justice is a nice get for O’Donnell, who will step down as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” after the election to work on other projects, including major interviews. O’Donnell scored a big interview back in May when she interviewed Pope Francis.

Meanwhile, it’s somewhat rare for a Supreme Court Justice to agree to a major interview such as this, but it’s not illegal either. The Court’s official policy states, “​​The Justices generally do not grant interviews. However, each Justice has his/her own policy on this matter.”

Jackson is promoting her memoir, “Lovely One,” which comes out next week.

Still up for debate

Donald Trump says he has agreed to a debate with Kamala Harris on Sept. 10 on ABC after all. He says it is with the original rules as when he agreed to debate President Joe Biden. In other words, each candidates’ microphone will be muted when it is not their turn to speak. Trump’s announcement comes after the two sides, reportedly, were negotiating the rules of the Sept. 10 debate. Trump, up until Tuesday, had indicated he might not debate Harris, at least if it was going to be hosted by ABC.

Trump wasn’t exactly amicable when he made his announcement. He wrote on his Truth Social, “I have reached an agreement with the Radical Left Democrats for a Debate with Comrade Kamala Harris. It will be Broadcast Live on ABC FAKE NEWS, by far the nastiest and most unfair newscaster in the business, on Tuesday, September 10th, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rules will be the same as the last CNN Debate, which seemed to work out well for everyone except, perhaps, Crooked Joe Biden. The Debate will be ‘stand up,’ and Candidates cannot bring notes, or ‘cheat sheets.’ We have also been given assurance by ABC that this will be a ‘fair and equitable’ Debate, and that neither side will be given the questions in advance (No Donna Brazile!). Harris would not agree to the FoxNews Debate on September 4th, but that date will be held open in case she changes her mind or, Flip Flops, as she has done on every single one of her long held and cherished policy beliefs. A possible third Debate, which would go to NBC FAKE NEWS, has not been agreed to by the Radical Left. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

So, lots to unpack there. First off, this is what Trump has said. No word yet from the Harris campaign. But the guess is the debate will take place as originally planned with muted microphones and the candidates forbidden from having pre-written notes.

Trump mentioned something about a debate on Fox News, but the Harris campaign has not agreed to that. And there has been no agreement for another debate on NBC News.

Meanwhile, appearing on Jen Psaki’s MSNBC show on Monday night, former CNN anchor Don Lemon was pushing for debate microphones to be on the entire time.

Lemon told Psaki, “I think we should hear exactly what Donald Trump is saying and how he is treating a woman on stage as she is speaking, because he is perplexed now. I think he’s found himself in a situation that he’s not used to finding himself in, and that is answering to a very smart woman, and in this particular case, he is answering to a Black woman. I think that he’s on his heels now. He doesn’t know how to respond to her. He was hoping that he would be going up against the president, Joe Biden, and now he’s going up against this Black woman, and she’s found all this popularity, and she’s closing the polls, tightening the polls, and he doesn’t know what to do. He’s losing his mind.”

Lemon added, “And I think the Harris campaign knows on that stage he is prone to, you know, have a fit and say something that will get him in trouble.”

Watch what you say

Here’s an interesting column from the Louisville Courier-Journal’s Joseph Gerth. He wrote about Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaking at a fundraiser in Lexington, Ky. Gerth wrote that the event was closed to the media. He also was quick to note that he wasn’t picking on a Republican for holding a fundraiser that barred the media.

Gerth wrote, “Democrats would likely do the same thing — not allow the media, which serves as the public’s eyes and ears, inside where the candidate might say something they ought not to say.”

To be clear, Gerth totally gets why these things are often held without reporters being allowed to attend. He wrote, “By closing these fundraisers to the media, it also gives politicians freedom to talk to their supporters in a way they would never speak to the general public.”

I would compare it to a college football coach speaking to a local booster club: He wants to say a few things to fire up the fans without his quotes ending up on the bulletin board in a rival’s locker room. And it isn’t unusual for a politician to say something inflammatory, purposeful or not.

Gerth, however, writes, “The fact is, however, both Republicans and Democrats are wrong when they close these events. You, the voter, should hear what politicians are telling not just big crowds, and you should read what they’re saying not just through campaign press releases. You should hear what they are telling the rich and powerful people who are funding their campaigns.”

End of an era

Catching up on this from the weekend. The legendary WCBS 880 news radio in New York City signed off Sunday night after nearly six decades on the air. The station switched over to ESPN New York, a sports-talk station.

The final words of the station were spoken by anchor Wayne Cabot, who said, “Our news desert is getting bigger and drier. Just like we should get a second medical opinion, we need to seek out more, and more varied news sources that we trust because getting your information without the bias and brainwashing, in one place, has given way to a fight to stay informed. With each closing newspaper, radio newsroom, TV newsroom, magazine, now even digital news operations, the country we love is diminished. So as we leave the news eco-system after 57 years of all news and 100 years of service on New York radio, we implore you to find that next trusted source. Use it. Support it. In word and in deed. It is the most patriotic thing you can do. And the most satisfying.”

Media tidbits

• Joel Simon, the former director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, writes for Vanity Fair, “American Journalists Beware: A Second Trump Term Could Pose Very Real Risks.”
• Good work from The Washington Post’s Laura Wagner with “A reporter detailed a tennis star’s alleged abuse. Now he’s paying for it.”
• After more than a decade out of circulation, SPIN Magazine is returning to print as a quarterly magazine. Billboard’s Chris Eggertsen has the details.
• The Associated Press with “Mark Zuckerberg says the White House pressured Facebook over some COVID-19 content during the pandemic.”
• How much is the “New Heights” podcast featuring football brothers Travis and Jason Kelce worth? Apparently $100 million. Travis, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and dates pop star Taylor Swift, and Jason, who retired from the Philadelphia Eagles after last season, have signed a three-year deal with Amazon’s Wondery that is worth $100 million. Variety’s Todd Spangler writes, “Starting (today) — timed to beginning of the next NFL season — Wondery has global distribution rights to all audio and video episodes of ‘New Heights With Jason and Travis Kelce’ including the show’s back catalog of all content, as well as rights to create international audio adaptations of the podcast. Wondery has exclusive rights to monetize and distribute audio and video podcast episodes.”

Hot type

The latest series from The 19th: “The toll of America’s anti-trans war.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Erich Schwartzel with “How Aubrey Plaza Eye-Rolled Her Way to Hollywood Stardom.”

More resources for journalists

• Public media journalists: Learn about our Digital Transformation Program.
• Find compelling climate change stories on any beat at Beat Academy.
• Try our dynamic, in-person, five-day workshop for new newsroom managers.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].