Critics say CNN's Bash used 'kid gloves' with Harris and Walz, while Vance 'grilled'

Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for her first media interview Thursday since ascending the Democratic presidential ticket, with some critics arguing the CNN interviewer should have taken a tougher approach similar to an interview just weeks before with former President Trump's running mate.

CNN’s Dana Bash interviewed Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for a total of roughly 26 pretaped minutes, which aired Thursday night. Harris was asked about inconsistencies in her political record, Trump’s personal attacks and what she would accomplish on day one in the Oval Office. 

Walz was asked about comments he made on the campaign trail related to his military service — that he once carried weapons in war, though he was never deployed to a war zone. 

Some critics say they wish Bash had pressed the pair in the way she grilled GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance in a one-on-one interview just weeks before. 

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Vice President Kamala Harris raised eyebrows when telling CNN's Dana Bash that her "values haven't changed" after making complete reversals on far-left positions she held in 2019. (Screenshot/CNN)

"Mixed marks for Bash, who pushed on some necessary subjects, but missed glaring follow-ups," Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. 

More specifically, Vanessa Santos, president of Renegade PR, told Fox News Digital on Friday, "Dana was fired up when she grilled JD about his 'cat lady' comments. If she would've brought even half of that energy to the Harris-Walz interview, voters might have learned something last night." 

"Instead, she let their nonsensical answers go unchecked and unchallenged," she said. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks on stage during the International Association of Fire Fighters Convention in Boston on Wednesday. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Bash asked Walz during the interview, "You said that you carried weapons in war, but you have never actually deployed in a war zone. A campaign official said that you misspoke. Did you?" 

Walz replied, "I'm incredibly proud. I've done 24 years of wearing the uniform of this country, equally proud of my service in a public-school classroom, whether it's Congress or the governor. My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves. And I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools and around guns. So, I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is. And again, my record has been out there for over 40 years to speak for itself."

"And the idea that you said that you were in war, did you misspeak as the campaign has said?" Bash pressed. 

"Yeah. I said we were talking about, in this case, this was after a school shooting, the idea of carrying these weapons of war. And, my wife, the English teacher, she told me my grammar is not always correct," he said.

In contrast, during her interview earlier this month with Vance, Bash pressed the Ohio senator for roughly six minutes about his leading the charge on criticizing Walz’s characterization of his military record, challenging his criticisms three separate times during the segment. 

She also pressed him multiple times on his "childless cat ladies" comments from an interview a few years ago. 

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Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, speaks during a campaign event in Henderson, Nevada, on July 30. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

But critics argued that Bash didn't ask the hard-hitting questions Americans wanted to hear during her interview of Harris and Walz on Thursday.

In one light exchange, Bash questioned Harris about a viral photo of Harris' young niece watching her speech at the Democratic National Convention. 

"You didn’t explicitly talk about gender or race in your speech. But it obviously means a lot to a lot of people. And that viral picture really says it. What does it mean to you?" Bash asked.

Harris replied, "I am running because I believe that I am the best person to do this job at this moment for all Americans, regardless of race and gender. But I did see that photograph, and I was deeply touched by it."

To which Bash followed up, "Did she talk to you about it afterwards?"

"Oh, she had a lot to talk about. She had a lot. She listened to everything. And she listens to everything," Harris replied.

"Did she give you your hot takes?" Bash asked.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are seen during their CNN interview on Thursday. (CNN)

Michael Knowles, host of the conservative talk radio show "The Michael Knowles Show," commented, "Dana Bash only did a bad job if you consider her to be a serious journalist."

"In reality, her job was not to ask tough questions, as she did of JD Vance, but rather to allow Kamala Harris to check the box of having endured an uneventful interview," he told Fox News Digital. 

Link Lauren, a TikTok influencer and former senior campaign adviser for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., told Fox News Digital, "It was as if Dana Bash was leading the witness." 

"She would give options for Kamala to choose from — as if this was the SAT multiple-choice section," said Lauren. 

"Bash is clearly capable of conducting a hardcore interview in the peak of a critical election cycle. It’s unfortunate she didn’t deploy those skills with Harris and Walz and instead put on kid gloves," said Santos. 

Santos added that Bash "allowing Walz to blame 'bad grammar' for lying about his military record seems like a politically motivated tactic, and is a disservice to Americans."

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Conversely, some critics say Bash leaned too far into "right-wing talking points" and should have had a more original line of questioning with Harris and Walz.

Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches Media, posted on X, "the CNN interview summarized: Dana Bash: why did you [right wing talking point]? Harris/Walz: because [answer they've given 5+ times] Dana Bash: but is it because [right wing talking point]? have you changed your mind on [right wing talking point]?"

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Democratic pollster and strategist Matt McDermott commented, "Kamala Harris and Tim Walz gave a perfectly thoughtful, insightful interview. But the press continues to be plagued by an inability to interview Democrats without the entire conversation being framed as, ‘What is your response to this false Republican talking point?’"

He added, "Framing an interview this way is an absolute disservice to viewers." 

Others heaped praise on Bash's performance. Howard Kurtz, host of Media Buzz on Fox News, said, "Anchor Dana Bash did a fine job of pressing the vice president and following up–she does it in a low-key style." 

The New York Times said, "Dana Bash navigated a tough night adeptly," and went on to say, "in a setting arranged by the Harris campaign to appear friendly — just three people sitting together at a neighborhood coffee shop in Savannah — it was going to be difficult for Ms. Bash to extract much news out of the vice president. Still, the veteran journalist had a good night."