Anti-Trump Republican Tells Harris Press Engagement Is Crucial For 2024 Win

Former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, one of the loudest Republican critics of former President Donald Trump, has some advice for Vice President Kamala Harris heading into her November matchup against Trump.

Speaking to CNN, Walsh says that if the vice president wishes to win, she will have to engage more with the press.

Anti-Trump Republican says Harris must speak to media ‘a h— of a lot more' or risk losing election https://t.co/oaVofRcEbx

— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 30, 2024

In an interview with CNN, Walsh declared the presidential race already neck-and-neck and predicted Trump will likely target Harris for her past “flip-flopping” on key issues.

“I don’t think Kamala Harris can run the prevent defense and be careful and cautious and think she can just ride the vibe and Trump’s bad and that will get her a win,” Walsh said.

He made clear he thinks Harris needs to be more aggressive: “I think she’s got to get in front of the media and take a hell of a lot more questions.”

Since Harris won the nomination to become the Democratic presidential candidate, she has tried in general to avoid extensive media interactions as a means of being more cautious. However, according to Walsh, that will not do in a race as tight as this. He praised Harris for sitting down with CNN’s Dana Bash this week, but he said that was not good enough.

The way he sees it, she needed to be out more and answer tough questions among the public.

Even with Trump’s consistent base, Harris has still outperformed the former president in crucial battleground states, boosted by solid support from women, Black voters, and young voters. As a matter of fact, new Fox News, Reuters, and USA Today polls are showing that Harris is leading Trump.

In her interview with Bash, Harris spoke a little about why she thinks President Biden ultimately decided to drop out of the race, and she used the opportunity to make her own case on her policy position changes. The interview, taped in Georgia with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, marked Harris’s first formal sit-down since taking the lead of the Democratic ticket.

While she indeed has gained some ground in recent polls, this advice by Walsh outlines the challenges she still faces. She will have to be more visible, audible, and accessible to both the press and the American people to win.