Vice President Kamala Harris has been criticized for not holding a single press conference since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, but she did find time to appear on a popular NBA podcast.
The vice president spoke with former basketball players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes for a special episode of their “All the Smoke” podcast in a wide-ranging interview that lasted about 45 minutes.
The podcast hosts use their platform to discuss the latest news both on and off the basketball court.
During the episode released on Monday, the three went discussed Harris’ loyalty to the Golden State Warriors, but also left to discuss a range of other topics, from policy to her family and racial identity.
The sit-down interview, recorded at her home in Washington, D.C., is the latest in a series of less traditional media appearances by the vice president as she makes her bid for the White House.
Vice President Kamala Harris appears on the ‘All the Smoke’ podcast with hosts and former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where they discussed basketball and her family, racial identity and certain policies in a friendly interview setting
It comes as Harris has faced criticism for largely avoiding tough interviews with reporters who would grill her on the issues, opting to appear on friendlier platforms as she works to reach voters across the country.
The vice president has now gone more than 70 days without holding a solo press conference since becoming first the presumptive and then the official Democratic presidential nominee.
Even as the New York Times editorial board endorsed Harris for president on Monday, her approach to the media and what appeared to be an effort to avoid unforced errors came under fire.
The group of opinion journalists wrote that “making the public feel protected from tough questions, as Mr. Biden has been, could backfire by undermining its core argument that a capable new generation is ready to take the reins of the to take over power. ‘
The vice president was also mocked for appearing online on the NBA podcast ahead of the release.
Harris appeared at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on September 29. The New York Times editorial board supported her for president, but noted that there was no unscripted access. The vice president has not held a solo press conference in more than 70 days since becoming the presumptive and then official nominee
In response to news of her conversation with Jackson and Barnes, NBA columnist John Hollinger jokingly posted some “Harris talking points.”
Sports writer Robby Kalland wrote on X ‘can’t wait to hear that Kamala is welcome at the competition.’
“Kamala Harris, will you commit to hiring a special prosecutor to determine if Warriors Twitter was the driving force behind Kevin Durant’s departure in free agency?” wrote an X user.
Another
Those wanting to hear all about the vice president’s knowledge of the NBA may be disappointed. While the interview started about basketball in California, it quickly shifted to other topics.
Harris was San Francisco’s district attorney during the Golden State Warriors’ “We Believe” season, when they were based out of Oakland and engineered a dramatic turnaround.
Both Jackson and Barnes played on Harris’ hometown team at the time.
“Our Warriors are always good, no matter the era, but that was a very special time,” the vice president recalled with a smile. “I mean, it was electric. Remember, it was electric.”
Harris called the team “the best of the best, legendary” and quickly turned the question back to her hosts to ask what it was like for them to play at that moment.
Harris addressed her and Emhoff as “a serious hit,” depending on who is playing now, as he supports Los Angeles teams.
When asked about her feelings about all of the current Oakland teams, Harris responded passionately, “It breaks my heart. Remember, we used to have the very best.”
While the interview started largely about sports and introducing the presidential candidate, the discussion eventually turned to policy, including some serious issues.
They discussed civil rights and efforts to pass police reform legislation, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
The group also joked about the importance of HBCUs and focused on addressing mental health. It’s an issue that the podcast hosts were passionate about, noting that mental health is a major issue in the Black community, especially among Black men.
“I think the mental health problem is probably one of the biggest public policy failures in our country,” Harris said.
The vice president spoke about the most effective peer-based mental health care, calling it “working with a brother” on the issue in DC.
Harris got personal in the interview when asked how she protects her own mental health, listing her number one rule “don’t read the comments,” working out every morning and encouraging people to be aware of who they surround themselves with.
Harris also discussed her economic platform, which she began laying out during her campaign as she works to gain support, including help for first-time homebuyers and expanding the child tax credit.
In a series of quick questions, the vice president also said she doesn’t believe people should go to jail for “smoking weed,” saying, “I’ve felt for a long time that we should legalize it.”
The interview was generally supportive of the vice president, with the hosts calling the conservative Project 2025 agenda “dirty work.”
Harris was put on the spot to give the best Bay Area artist ever and responded with rapper Too Short. Her guilty pleasure: Doritos.
When asked who she would like to invite to dinner, Harris noted that her husband and mother had never met. She also mentioned the first Black woman elected to Congress, Shirley Chisholm, and the first Black Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
The interview covered how friendly her appearance was and included the vice president even inviting Jackson and Barnes to a future Sunday dinner and joining them as a gift of a signed coffee table book.
Her appearance on the podcast received mixed reactions online. One X user called it “dope,” while another wrote “good convo bro.” Some praised it for its mix of personality and policy.
But others were much less impressed. One user simply wrote “unfollowed.”
Harris has chosen to sit down with some more supportive media platforms as the clock ticks down to Election Day.
Last week she had an interview on the liberal-leaning MSNBC. Last month, one of her select appearances was answering music-related questions with Track Star on TikTok.
Asked about the New York Times editorial staff’s criticism of its lack of unscripted access in its endorsement Monday by CNN, a senior campaign spokesperson pointed out that the vice president was on the “All the Smoke” podcast and mentioned this unwritten about who she is. .
The campaign indicated that it will continue to speak to the American people in such formats, but argued that it will answer questions from journalists along the way.