Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday once again quickly exited a briefing without taking a single question from assembled reporters.
Harris was discussing the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza when she ended her remarks and abruptly left the briefing room as reporters shouted questions at her.
According to Fox News, which has been keeping track daily, Harris has now gone 89 days without holding an official press conference as the presumptive and now official Democratic nominee for president.
In contrast, Trump has conducted six news conferences where he answered questions from the media since the beginning of August, including one this month after meeting with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp regarding hurricane relief efforts.
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Here’s a transcript of her remarks:
“Today, Israel confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is dead and justice has been served. And the United States, Israel and the entire world are better off as a result. Sinwar was responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent people, including the victims of October 7th and hostages killed in Gaza. He had American blood on his hands.
Today, I can only hope that the families of the victims of Hamas feel a sense and measure of relief. Sinwar was the mastermind of October 7th, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, a terrorist attack that killed 1,200 innocent people and included horrific sexual violence and more than 250 hostages taken into Gaza, including seven Americans living and deceased who remain in captivity.
A terrorist attack that triggered a devastating war in Gaza. A war that has led to unconscionable suffering of many innocent Palestinians and greater instability throughout the Middle East. In the past year, American special operations and intelligence personnel have worked closely with their Israeli counterparts to locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders. And I commend their work. And I will say to any terrorist who kills Americans, threatens the American people, or threatens our troops or our interests. Know this. We will always bring you to justice.
Israel has a right to defend itself. And the threat Hamas poses to Israel must be eliminated. Today, there is clear progress toward that goal. Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated. This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.
And it is time for the day after to begin without Hamas in power. We will not give up on these goals. And I will always work to create a future of peace, dignity and security for all. I thank you all.”
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President Biden also held a news conference in the White House press briefing room earlier this month, where he joked about re-entering the 2024 race.
“Harris did end her streak of not appearing on Fox News on Wednesday, however, sitting for an interview in Pennsylvania with chief political anchor Bret Baier,” the network reported on Friday.
Harris has increased her interview appearances in recent weeks, including radio segments, a solo sit-down with a Philadelphia TV station, and friendly spots on “The View,” Stephen Colbert, and Howard Stern.
However, it remains uncertain when she will actually hold a formal press conference as a candidate, and that day may never come, especially while she is still in the race.
Conservative Radio Libre host Jorge Bonilla believes Harris should hold a press conference, but he remarked that it’s almost “irrelevant” since she continues to receive a pass.
“She is highly unlikely to do a press conference because the media have enabled and encouraged her ‘plexiglass basement’ strategy, wherein she preserves the illusion of being out there while remaining wholly inaccessible to the press and therefore unaccountable,” Bonilla told Fox News.
