Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will participate in their first major television interview of the presidential campaign during a bus tour in southeast Georgia. The CNN interview with Dana Bash aims to provide Harris an opportunity to address criticisms about avoiding uncontrolled environments, define her campaign, and demonstrate her political skills before an upcoming debate with former President Donald Trump on September 10. This joint interview is a typical occurrence during election years, with candidates like Biden, Harris, Trump, Pence, Obama, and Biden engaging in similar interviews.

Harris has been criticized for not conducting in-depth interviews since becoming the party’s standard bearer five weeks ago. The lack of media access has been highlighted by Republicans as a significant issue, with the Trump campaign pointing out the time Harris has gone without an interview. During the CNN interview, set to air at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Harris will be campaigning in Georgia, emphasizing the need to engage with voters in GOP strongholds to secure victory in November.

Following the interview, Walz will leave the bus tour while Harris continues campaigning alone, focusing on reaching voters in all communities. Campaign officials believe that these engagements will create viral moments that cut through media coverage and reach voters nationwide. The campaign sees these events as an opportunity for voters to not only learn about the candidates’ policies but also to understand who they are as individuals.

Harris and Walz have planned further campaign events, including a Labor Day blitz with Biden in Detroit and Pittsburgh. With the election approaching in just over 70 days, the campaign is intensifying its efforts to reach voters, especially as the first mail-in ballots will be sent out in just two weeks.