Window to define Harris rapidly closing as favorability rating rises in new poll

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Kamala Harris benefitting from media 'pushing the reset' on campaign coverage, ex-Trump advisor says

Former Trump communications advisor Bryan Lanza said that media coverage of Vice President Harris' campaign has been positive after a press "reset" following President Biden quitting the race.

Vice President Kamala Harris is enjoying a spike in favorability among U.S. adults as the Democratic Party prepares to formally nominate her as a presidential candidate in Chicago this week.

The new poll from the Associated Press found that 48% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, up from 39% earlier this year. Harris has benefited from a deluge of positive media coverage in the weeks since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

The rise is also a marked improvement over Biden's own favorability when he dropped out of the race. At the time, just 38% of Americans approved of him.

Meanwhile, former President Trump sits at 41% approval, according to the Monday poll.

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Vice President Kamala Harris has surged in approval ratings in the weeks since she assumed the head role in the Democratic Party. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The race for the White House remains neck-and-neck between Trump and Harris, with most polls placing the candidates within the margin of error. In some polls, Harris leads by a few points; in others, Trump holds the advantage.

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Harris has faced heavy criticism for her lack of media transparency since her nomination. She has gone 29 days without holding a press conference as of Monday.

While she has been busy on the campaign trail, spoken at various events, and given informal remarks to reporters at various points, she hasn’t done a formal press conference or wide-ranging interview in the four weeks that have followed.

Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck in election polls with just months to go before Election Day. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Trump held his second press conference in a week on Thursday at Bedminster, and since Aug. 6, he's answered 81 questions in pressers and interviews, including a two-hour session with supporter Elon Musk last week.

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Over that same period, Harris has done brief "gaggles" as well as off-the-record sessions with traveling reporters, but she still hasn't done anything formal with the press. She spoke for a few minutes at a campaign stop with reporters in Pennsylvania on Sunday, telling the media she still considered herself an "underdog" as the Democratic National Convention gets set to kick off.

Harris has appeared to hide from media scrutiny in recent weeks as Trump has had numerous conversations with the press. (Getty Images)

The left-leaning Washington Post editorial board challenged Harris over dodging the media last week, saying of her opponent, "at least he has taken questions."

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The Post said she should account for her numerous policy shifts, including on fracking, border security and private health insurance. Liberal columnist Perry Bacon also called on Harris to take questions in a new piece on Sunday.

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report