Kamala Harris hits ’60 Minutes’ without Donald Trump. Political scientists weigh in on whether the interview matters.
Kamala Harris hits ’60 Minutes’ without Donald Trump. Political scientists weigh in on whether the interview matters.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “60 Minutes” on Monday as part of a media blitz in the final days of her presidential campaign. Not appearing on the CBS news show: Donald Trump.
One political scientist said the Harris interview wasn’t likely to change any voters’ minds — but another said former President Trump’s absence could hold some sway with undecided voters.
During the interview, Harris highlighted her economic policies and differences from her opponent — though she didn’t offer any new details about a potential Harris administration.
Throughout her campaign, Harris has faced criticism from Trump supporters and some media outlets that have argued she hasn’t adequately explained her platform or given enough public interviews.
Harris’ “60 Minutes” appearance came amid a weeklong series of high-profile interviews the vice president has added to her schedule. CBS reported on October 1 that Trump backed out of the “60 Minutes” election special after initially agreeing to appear.
When asked about Trump’s apparent refusal to participate in the interview, Harris said people who want to know what he thinks should “watch his rallies.”
A Trump spokesman, Steven Cheung, said on X earlier this month that a sit-down with “60 Minutes” had never been finalized. “There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in,” he wrote. “They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
As for Harris, one political scientist told B-17 the “60 Minutes” broadcast “didn’t feel like a conversation.”
“It felt like a collage, with a whole bunch of cut-up pieces,” said Susan McWilliams Barndt, a professor of politics at Pomona College in California.
“The ’60 Minutes’ interview was over-edited, especially compared with Harris’ recent podcast interview on ‘Call Her Daddy,'” Barndt said.
On Sunday, Harris spoke with Alex Cooper of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. Cooper, 30, has a massive and influential platform, particularly among young women, with an audience size second only to “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Forbes has reported.
Mike Nellis, a former Harris senior advisor who’s also a “White Dudes for Harris” organizer, said Harris’ targeted appearances — such as on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast — were a smart strategy to reach certain audiences, such as young women or suburban women. This week, Harris is also set to appear on “The View,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Still, McWilliams Barndt, the Pomona professor, said Harris, in her “60 Minutes” interview, didn’t say anything she hadn’t said before. “And in our fast-paced social-media attention economy, you can’t get any attention if you don’t say anything new,” she said.
Patricia Crouse, an adjunct professor of political science at New Haven University, said Harris held her own but wasn’t at her best. She added that Trump’s absence on “60 Minutes” was among the night’s biggest takeaways.
“I think, like most presidential candidates that do these kinds of interviews, her answers were evasive, and she didn’t directly answer any of the questions,” Crouse said. “Having said that, though, she at least showed up — and that may play well with some undecided voters. I don’t think it was in Trump’s best interest to pass on the interview.”
