Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, has been “hidden away” from the press, Atlantic staff writer Mark Leibovich wrote in a piece published on Saturday, questioning why her running mate stopped giving prominent interviews.
“It’s a bit of a mystery why Walz has largely stopped doing national media, especially given how effective he was over the summer,” Leibovich wrote.
Walz appeared alongside Harris in her first interview since becoming the Democratic candidate. He sat down with ABC News and MSNBC after the Harris-Donald Trump debate, and has done a handful of local news interviews.
“The campaign seems to have trapped him in the same hyper-protective Bubble Wrap it has placed around Harris, and that was placed around Biden before her. This strikes me as a massive waste of Walz’s talent, but what do I know?” Leibovich wrote.
The Atlantic writer argued that Walz was a good messenger for the campaign, and said he spent time observing him at rallies and more ahead of the vice presidential debate with GOP vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance.
Leibovich noted that his team didn’t make the Minnesota governor available for an interview, but said he spoke to several of his close allies.
“If you drive by someone who’s stuck on the road,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., told Leibovich, describing Walz. “They might need a lift or a phone call or a tire change. I wouldn’t be able to change the tire, but I could make the phone call or give them a lift. Tim could do all three.”
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“Oddly, since Harris picked him, Walz has been largely hidden away from the national media. The campaign has been content to deploy Walz as more of a cartoon than a multidimensional character: dress Coach up in camouflage, pop in the Bob Seger eight-track, juice him up on Diet Mountain Dew, and send him onto the stage. His rallies are loud, boisterous, and well attended, usually more so than Vance’s,” Leibovich continued.
Walz and Vance are set to debate on Tuesday. The debate will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by CBS’ Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell.
Harris waited over a month to sit for an interview after President Biden dropped out of the race. She has done some local radio interviews in addition to her sit-down with CNN. She also was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, who endorsed Harris at the DNC, and most recently sat for an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle.
