This Thursday, Kamala Harris is set to give her first major interview since launching her presidential campaign after Joe Biden dramatically dropped out of the race.
This comes after Republicans and members of the media have been calling for the presidential candidate to answer questions for weeks.
The vice president and running mate Tim Walz were interviewed together by CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday afternoon, and the interview is scheduled to air in primetime on Thursday night.
Despite the media attention and surge in support since entering the race, Harris has yet to give a formal interview or press conference, and has fielded only a handful of questions from reporters during the campaign.
She vowed in early August to schedule a formal interview by the end of the month.
Here’s what else you need to know about Harris Waltz’s interview with CNN:
Who are the interview subjects?
CNN chief political correspondent and anchor Dana Bash will interview Harris and Waltz.
Earlier in the election cycle, Bash co-moderated the June presidential debate between Biden and Donald Trump with Jake Tapper.
The president’s performance in the June debate stunned viewers and horrified his supporters. He spoke hoarsely, his grammar was awful and he repeatedly lost his train of thought. He was unable to mount an effective argument against a jubilant Trump. It marked the beginning of the end of his reelection campaign.
How to watch the interview
The interview will air on CNN at 9 p.m. ET. The network said the interview will be available on its website and app Thursday night and on demand on Friday.
The Guardian’s political reporters will be covering the interview, including a liveblog on Thursday evening.
Where will the interview take place?
CNN will record the interview from the battleground state of Georgia and air it in prime time.
Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz are on a two-day bus tour of Georgia, with Ms. Harris scheduled to hold a rally in Savannah on Thursday.
What CNN said about the interview
“There are still a lot of questions we want her to answer as we head into the fall campaign,” CNN political director David Chalian said after the network published the interview on Tuesday.
“We’ve been waiting for the next major hurdle for Kamala Harris and her campaign to overcome,” Chalian added, noting that Harris and Walz have successfully rallied the party, raised significant amounts of money and staged a successful Democratic National Convention.
“It’s all scripted,” he said. “This is the first time she’s been asked any questions.”
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“Now is your opportunity to hear her ponder aloud,” Chalian said, “for Dana to question her in an unscripted setting about her policy positions, her plans for the future, her plans for the country, and, of course, to watch the Democratic candidates interact with each other.”
What else should you know?
The interview marks the first joint interview between Harris and Waltz and Harris’ first in more than a month.
Thursday’s CNN appearance was just an interview and is unlikely to quell attacks from Trump, his running mate J.D. Vance and other Republicans who say Harris and Walz cannot withstand media scrutiny.
In a tweet earlier this week, J.D. Vance said Harris “is seeking a promotion but is refusing to interview for the job.”
It is unclear when Harris will give a solo interview or whether the two have any future interviews scheduled with the media.
What will happen to the US election calendar?
The next presidential debate is scheduled for September 10, with both Harris and Trump’s endorsements confirmed, but in recent days the Trump and Harris campaigns have been battling over what rules they agreed to.
At the center of the controversy was the issue of muting microphones, which the Biden campaign had made a condition for holding this year’s debate.
The debate between Vance and Walz is set to take place on October 1st.
Voters will head to the polls on November 5th.
