(NewsNation) — On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris is sitting down for her first sit-down interview since she took over the Democratic presidential ticket. She’ll be joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
This CNN appearance will give Harris a chance to eliminate one of her Republican opponents’ main criticisms of her: That she has yet to sit down for a formal interview with a credible news organization since becoming the Democratic nominee.
It will also give her a chance to talk about how she plans to tackle some of America’s most difficult issues, like the economy, which Georgia residents told NewsNation is among their top concerns.
“Obviously, the cost of living has been kind of absurd,” one said. “I make good money. My husband does too, and we’re still barely making ends meet.”
“The cost of living is absolutely too high,” another resident said. “Everything is going up but the paychecks.”
However, even as this interview gives Harris new opportunities, she’s also garnered criticism for her decision to have Walz with her. Republican nominee and former president Donald Trump said Walz should not be “present to help with the inevitable Kamala stumbles” ahead of the debate.
The Associated Press notes that joint interviews are a fixture in politics during election years: Biden and Harris, Trump and Mike Pence, Barack Obama and Biden all did them at a similar point in their races.
Thursday’s interview is set to air at 9 p.m. EDT, after being pre-taped at 1:45 p.m. EDT during Harris’ two-day bus tour around southeast Georgia. The tour, which took her to a barbecue restaurant and a high school to listen to a marching band play, among other stops, ends with an evening rally in Savannah.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
