Donald Trump’s sharp critique of Kamala Harris’s failed presidential campaign is as much a lesson in politics as it is a reflection on the chasm between public perception and political strategy.
In a recent TIME interview, Trump laid out his analysis of Harris’s biggest mistake: taking on a presidential run without playing to her strengths—or even acknowledging her weaknesses.
Trump’s comments zeroed in on Harris’s conspicuous reluctance to engage with the media during her campaign. He described her strategy—or lack thereof—as a “big tactical mistake,” citing her refusal to grant interviews, even to sympathetic outlets.
“Why wouldn’t you do some basic interviews?” he asked, noting that her absence from the media landscape created a vacuum that amplified doubts about her candidacy. “People, including me, would start to say, is there something wrong with her?”
For Trump, who thrives on constant media interaction, Harris’s approach appeared baffling. Love him or hate him, Trump’s relentless media engagements—even with adversarial outlets—kept him in the public eye and allowed him to shape the narrative. By contrast, Harris’s strategy seemed to rely on avoiding the spotlight until the moments she thought would count most.
The problem? Those high-stakes appearances didn’t go as planned. As Trump noted, her underwhelming interviews were magnified precisely because they were so few. In his view, had she done more interviews—successful or otherwise—those missteps might have been diluted in a broader context.
Trump’s critique also touched on an important point about modern political campaigns: visibility matters. The refusal to engage with the press, friendly or otherwise, signals either an unwillingness or an inability to connect with the electorate.
Harris’s media blackout fed a narrative that she lacked the confidence or the skills to navigate tough questions. When the few interviews she did grant fell flat, the damage was compounded. As Trump put it, “If she did another 15 interviews, you wouldn’t have really noticed it that much.”
It’s worth noting that Trump isn’t merely highlighting Harris’s failures out of rivalry. His remarks reflect an understanding of the media ecosystem that many politicians, including Harris, have failed to grasp. In today’s hyper-connected world, candidates can’t afford to be selective about engagement. They need to meet voters where they are, whether that’s on cable news, podcasts, or social media platforms.
