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Did Kamala Harris do a news conference or on-the-record interview in the two weeks after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race?

By Tom Kertscher
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NO

News reports generally confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris did not take questions from reporters in the 17 days after President Joe Biden ended his campaign, as Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance said Aug. 7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

That same day, Politico reported that Harris talked with reporters off the record, but on the record has only spoken "on the tarmac, making statements but not taking questions.”

New York Times columnist Lydia Polgreen wrote on Aug. 7 Harris going on the record "has not happened yet.” Other news outlets made similar reports.

On Aug. 8, Harris answered a few reporter questions. 

Harris’ campaign cited three previous instances in which Harris replied to a shouted question.

Appearing with Biden Aug. 5, the day she officially became the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, Harris spoke to reporters for 45 seconds.

As of Aug. 9 she has not done a news conference.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
YouTube JD Vance campaigns in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Politico Why Harris isn’t taking questions
X Lydia Polgreen post
Fox News Kamala Harris has avoided interviews for more than two weeks since becoming Dem nominee
Fox News CNN reporter questions if Kamala Harris' lack of interviews is a 'big mistake'
USA Today Kamala Harris seems 'unburdened' by her lackluster past. She can thank the media for that
X Monica Alba post
X Eugene Daniels post
Google Docs Kamala Harris pool reports
Face the Nation Biden, Harris address prisoner swap after greeting freed Americans on tarmac
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.