Harris agrees to first interview of campaign alongside Walz on CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will sit for a joint interview with CNN on Thursday, the network announced Tuesday.

Why it matters: It’s the first formal interview for Harris after more than five weeks of campaigning. That long delay means she’ll be under additional scrutiny for her performance in the CNN interview.

• Challenged over her lack of media appearances, Harris’ team had said she’d do an interview with a national outlet by Aug. 31.
• She has also yet to hold a press conference.
• Former President Trump, by contrast, appears frequently on cable news and other formats like podcasts, though often with friendly interviewers.

What we’re watching: The interview, conducted by CNN’s Dana Bash, will air 9pm ET on Thursday.

Between the lines: While Harris has faced criticism for taking virtually no questions since launching her campaign, some in her camp have argued there’s been little need during her extended political honeymoon.

• That’s part of a larger pattern of Harris being risk-averse, with highly choreographed and scripted appearances and just a couple of short gaggles with reporters, Axios’ Alex Thompson reports.

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