'Full Biden Mode': Reporters Detail Troubling Tactic From Kamala Harris Post-Border Visit, Helene

It's not breaking news to note that Kamala Harris has turned avoiding questions from the media into an art form since becoming the Democrat presidential nominee. And even when she's not dodging the mainstream press, she's still evading tough scrutiny by sitting down with especially Democrat-friendly "news" outlets like CNN and MSNBC.

It's something even the left's apologists at the New York Times recently called out, as we previously reported.

They correctly pointed out, for instance, that Harris' sit-down with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle was done primarily so her handlers could say she'd done another cable news interview. Further, they noted Harris' "media strategy has been to sit with friendly inquisitors who are not inclined to ask terribly thorny questions or press her when her responses are evasive."

"A hard-hitting Harris interview is still yet to come," they also wrote.

As it turns out, that "evasiveness" the Times talked about is just getting worse, as observed by Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, who ripped Harris for going into "full Biden mode" in the final weeks of her presidential campaign, including during her recent FEMA photo op and statement on Iran:

For a second time this week, Harris ignores reporter questions following hastily-scheduled remarks on breaking news -- first the hurricane impacts, now Iran.

Harris is going full Biden mode lately.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 1, 2024

It was a tactic my colleague Nick Arama called "Biden 2.0."

Heinrich's colleague, Bill Melugin, amplified her comments while noting another troubling Kamala Harris media avoidance moment during her "border visit" last Friday:

Harris also did not take any questions during her visit to the AZ border on Friday. Immediately after finishing her speech - all on teleprompter, she walked off stage. Apart from “pass the border bill”, we have no idea what her border/immigration policies would be. https://t.co/dBjf83OTXw
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 1, 2024

It all lends credence to the "empty suit" characterization Harris has gotten from her critics, except in this case, it's even more concerning because the world is kinda blowing up right now, and what our elected leaders are saying and doing matters.

We had Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic damage in western North Carolina. Harris' first response beyond a White House-issued statement was to post - two days after the devastation - an insulting staged photo of her being "briefed by FEMA" even though her phone headset wasn't even plugged in as she was "listening" to them.

Later, during her FEMA appearance, she talked about how this was a time when people were "rising to the moment," which was an interesting choice of words considering that when Biden and Harris had the opportunity to rise to the moment they chose to abandon the ship for greener pastures - like the beach and glitzy campaign fundraisers. And after that appearance, her handlers proceeded to shove reporters out the door so she could get a "formal" briefing on disaster relief efforts.

Her visit to the southern border was only her second as vice president but was perhaps the most important and significant considering how dire things have become at border states. And yet again, she took no questions, gave no policy details, and reportedly didn't even speak with actual border patrol agents. That's just nuts.

So many consequential things are happening right now, but all Kamala Harris will do is issue canned statements, scripted speeches, engage in photo ops, and make jokes with media friendlies about partying with a friend-girl of hers back in the day in her "father's Seville," and making sure you have napkins when eating Doritos.

I could be wrong here, but I'm pretty sure that after four years of Joe Biden as president, the American people are looking for actual leadership in times of crisis, and not one whose default response to important questions is "no comment." Would she have the same response to a 3 a.m. call, or would she leave it to a handler to take care of?

It's a scary thought for sure.

Here's to hoping that Harris will be sent packing come November, after which she'll have all the time in the world she wants to go cruising in a Seville with all the Doritos it will hold.