Harris and Trump spotlight their policies, strategy in dueling interviews

As the presidential race moves into its final weeks, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump have embarked on an interview blitz that offers new details about their policy priorities and their political strategies.

In recent days, Harris has sat with top radio show hosts popular among younger and Black audiences.

Trump, meanwhile, participated in a contentious interview with the editor of Bloomberg News at an economic forum in Chicago and participated in town halls on Fox News.

Here are some takeaways from the cascade of appearances:

Controlled campaigns are going public

Both candidates have largely avoided traditional interviews during the campaign, preferring to sit before friendly hosts, often in non-traditional media settings. The two-day interview marathon was a noteworthy, partial break from that strategy.

Harris, whom the Trump campaign hammered for not doing interviews after replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, has ramped up the pace this month.

The US Vice President appeared on ABC's “The View,” spoke with radio host Howard Stern and taped a show with late-night comedian Stephen Colbert, among other appearances.

She also sat down with the newsmagazine “60 Minutes,” as is traditional for presidential candidates, while Trump canceled his appearance with the show.

Harris’ appearance on Fox with anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday seemed designed to show her willingness to face any questioner, especially after Trump bailed on “60 Minutes.”

The former president's interview by Bloomberg editor-in-chief John Micklethwait in Chicago on Tuesday was an unusual appearance before a nonconservative questioner. Micklethwait challenged Trump's support for tariffs and his plans to pay for his campaign promises.

He also faced an all-women audience in a Fox News town hall before participating in a town hall on the Spanish-language network Univision, where he faced pointed questions from Latino voters.

Both campaigns are vying to win over Black men

In an election that could be decided on the margins, every vote counts. In the final stretch toward the election, Trump and Harris are turning their focus to Black men.

Harris, in her interview with radio host Charlamagne, warned that Trump wanted to oversee a return to harsh policing tactics known as “stop and frisk” that disproportionately affect Black men.

She said that reparations for ancestors of slaves should be studied, a position that isn’t new but one that Trump has sought to exploit to help strengthen his advantage with white voters.

Trump oozed confidence when he addressed Black voters on Tuesday. Both parties concede that while Harris is likely to win Black voters, Trump is eating into her margins, especially among young Black men. Any significant shift could be consequential in a razor-thin election.

"Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I’m doing there, that votes for Kamala, you’ve got to have your head examined," Trump said.

Harris said part of her challenge is that Trump's campaign is “trying to scare people."

"Ask Donald Trump what is his plan for Black America," she said. "Ask him."