'Weak sauce!': CNN commentator dings Kamala Harris over CNN sitdown

>> Emily: VICE PRESIDENT, HARRIS HAS FINALLY AGREED TO A SITDOWN INTERVIEW BUT SHE WON'T BE FACING THE QUESTIONS ALONE AND IT IS THOUGHT TO BE A PRETAPED JOINT INTERVIEW WITH HER RUNNING MATE, MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ. LET'S GO LIVE TO MARK MEREDITH IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, WITH THE LATEST. MARK. >> EMILY, GOOD AFTERNOON FROM A HOT AND HUMID SAVANN, GEORGIA, OR VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS IS GEARING UP FOR WHAT COULD BE THE MOST PIVOTAL INTERVIEW SHE'S EVER FACED IN HER CAREER. THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAS BECOME SO HIGHLY ANTICIPATED. IT WILL BE TAPED WHILE SHE IS DOWN HERE CAMPAIGNING IN SOUTH GEORGIA. THE REASON IT'S GETTING SO MUCH ATTENTION IS BECAUSE SINCE SHE BECAME THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, SHE HAS LARGELY AVOIDED THE PRESS OR ANSWERING DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICIES. A FORMER HARRIS ADVISOR IS TRYING TO SET UP THE STAKES FOR THIS INTERVIEW, ACTUALLY TELLING POLITICO "TO BE HONEST, BIG AUDIENCE FOR THIS INTERVIEW IS GOING TO BE THE INSIDE THE BELTWAY CROWD BUT REALLY CARES ABOUT THIS SO SHE CAN SUBSTANTIALLY DRAW SOME DISTINCTION WITH BIDEN ON SOME POLICY ISSUES." WHILE THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF MEDIA OUTLETS WOULD LOVE TO GRILL THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, HARRIS CHOSE CNN WHO SOME CRITICS SAY IS ALSO A WAY TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT. >> THIS ISN'T EVEN A TOUGH INTERVIEW. THIS IS ON CNN, ONE OF THEIR MEDIA ALLIES. SHE SHOULD TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT SHE CAN HANDLE HARD QUESTIONS. >> TODAY THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN IS ALSO PIVOTING ITS STRATEGY TO ATTRACT RURAL VOTERS IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND AREAS WHERE DEMOCRATS HAVE LONG STRUGGLED TO THE CAMPAIGN SAYS IT'S WILLING TO INVEST MORE TIME, MONEY, AND RESOURCES TO TRY TO TURN OUT THE VOTE HERE IN GEORGIA. GEORGIA COMPETITIVE STAGERS LIKE IT WAS FOUR YEARS AGO. THE LATEST POLL SHOWED TRUMP LEAVING HERE BY ABOUT FOUR POINTS, WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WE'RE GOING TO SEE BOTH MAJOR CANDIDATES COMING TO THE PEACH STATE QUITE A BIT BETWEEN NOW AND MID-OCTOBER WHEN EARLY VOTING GETS UNDERWAY. >> Emily: THANK YOU, MARK. CRITICS ARE CALLING OUT VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS FOR NOT FACING THE INTERVIEW SO LOW. HERE'S ONE EXAMPLE. SCOTT JENNINGS ON CNN. >> I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY WEAK, WEAK SAUCE, TO SHOW UP WITH YOUR RUNNING MATE, THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN HER TO LET HER SIT HERSELF, THE ACTUAL TOP OF THE TICKET, INTO A SINGLE INTERVIEW. I THINK THE HAND-WRINGING AND THE GENERATIONS OVER THIS OVER THE LAST MONTH SHOW OF TREMBLING LACK OF CONFIDENCE AND POLITICAL ABILITY WHICH MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT KIND OF PRESIDENT WOULD YOU BE OF THIS KIND OF SMALL-TIME DECISION, CAN WE DO AN INTERVIEW OR NOT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK FOR YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS? I THINK REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO THINK IT'S PRETTY WEAK TO SHOW UP WITH SOMEONE TO TAKE UP HALF THE TIME. >> Emily: KILMEADE, I ARGUE IT'S ANTI-AMERICAN. IF THEY NEED THEIR HAND HELD FOR AN INTERVIEW, WHO WAS GOING TO HOLD YOUR HAND WHEN YOU'RE SITTING ACROSS FROM PUTIN OR XI OR UNION WORKERS OR ANY AVERAGE AMERICAN. >> Brian: THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY INTERVIEWS HAS TRUMPED DOWN COMPARED TO KAMALA HARRIS? I THINK IT WAS OVER AN HOUR. HE DID ELON MUSK FOR OVER AN HOUR. HE IS DONE NONSTOP, WENT TO HOSTILE TERRITORY IN CHICAGO WITH THE BLACK JOURNALISTS. THAT WAS AT LEAST 25 MINUTES. WHY -- J.D. VANCE, 39 YEARS OLD, KIND OF KNEW, ONLY TWO YEARS AS OHIO SENATOR. EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND HE HAS BEEN IN HOSTILE TERRITORY. MACHINE GUN LIKE QUESTIONS. WHAT ELSE HAS J.D. VANCE DONE? AFTER EVERY SPEECH, BIG OR SMALL, HE TAKES QUESTIONS FROM THE LOCAL JOURNALISTS. SO TO ME IF YOU WANT TO BE PRESIDENT, AS BILL MAHER OF ALL PEOPLE SAID, IF YOU WANT TO SIT ACROSS FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN, YOU BETTER BE ABLE TO STAND NEXT TO ANY JOURNALIST. TO HAVE YOUR RUNNING MATE ON WITH YOU IS REALLY INSULTING TO HER. WHO RECOMMENDED THAT? >> Emily: SHE'S NOT JUST A CANDIDATE. SHE'S OUR CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT. THIS IS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN LEADING THE COUNTRY NUMBER TWO FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS AND SHE STILL CAN'T CONDUCT AN INTERVIEW, ANSWER QUESTIONS, SPEAK WITH APLOMB, SPEAK OFF-THE-CUFF? THAT IS WHO HAS BEEN OCCUPYING THE WHITE HOUSE? >> Cheryl: THEY HAVE BEEN OFF THE TRAIL FOR FIVE DAYS NOW THEY ARE STARTING A BUS TOUR. TO WONDER IF IT'S BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER AND UNDERSTAND WITH THE POLICIES ARE. I'M THINKING TIM WALZ DOESN'T HAVE COMPLETE AWARENESS OF WHAT THESE POLICIES ARE SO THEY NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE. THERE WAS A GOOD OP-ED THAT FoxNews.com. HE SAID THE CAMPAIGN, THIS MAKES SENSE. IT'S FAMILIAR CYNICISM. WIN BY ANY MEANS, NOBODY NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT ACTUAL POLICIES. COOK UP SOME RUSSIA COLLUSION OR CALL A LAPTOP FAKE. ALL THAT MATTERS IS WINNING AND THAT'S WITH THE CAMPAIGN IS DOING. >> Emily: WILL BE SUCCESSFUL? >> Kennedy: IT COULD BE. TALKING ABOUT THE EV MANDATES AND SHE HAS DONE A 180 ON THAT POSITION. WHERE WAS SHE WHEN THE EPA WAS COMING UP WITH THEY WERE MANDATES? WHERE WAS SHE WHEN THESE BILLS WERE BEING FLOATED IN CONGRESS? WHY WASN'T SHE ON THE PRESIDENTS SHOULDER GOING LISTEN, YOU ARE OLD AND SENILE. THIS IS REALLY STUPID AND IT'S GOING TO TANK THE ECONOMY. WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING LIKE THAT FROM HER. I LOOK AT THIS AS A WOMAN, IT'S A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY WE ARE IN, YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE BEHIND A MAN? I'M A LITTLE ASHAMED OF THAT. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HISTORIC PRESIDENCY BECAUSE IT'S THE FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? AND SHE CAN'T SIT THERE AND DO A ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW? SHE'S GOT TO HIDE BEHIND A MAN? I AM PERSONALLY, AS A WOMAN, AGGRIEVED. >> Emily: SHE REFUSED TO MEET WITH THE HEADS OF STATE ABROAD WITH THEIR WIVES BECAUSE SHE SAID I AM AN OFFICIAL OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, LIKE I DON'T MEET WITH SPOUSES. BUT SHE CAN'T SIT FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH OUT HER HAND BEING HELD BY HER VICE PRESIDENT A CANDIDATE? >> Dagen: I WANT TO POINT OUT SHE WAS THE "I'VE GOT THE LAST VOTE ON THE GREEN NEW BOONDOGGLE." SHE'S THE ONE WHO SUBSIDIZED THE EPA'S TAILPIPE EMISSIONS MANDATE. YEAH, IT'S A MANDATE, TO MANUFACTURE ALL THOSE ELECTRIC CARS THAT SHE'S THE ONE WHO DUG A FINANCIAL HOLE WE ARE IN. TO KENNEDY'S POINT, IF SHE WANTS TO BE THEIR FIRST WOMAN RUNNING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SHE NEEDS A MAN AS A CRUTCH, AS A TRUSS, NECK PILLOW, SEAT CUSHION, THAT SHE CAN'T GET UP THERE BY HERSELF. SHE NEEDS AL QAEDA MAKE HER SEEM MORE LIKABLE OR SHE NEEDS THAT GUY TO MAKE HER SEEM MORE LIKABLE. THAT'S SHAMEFUL. I SAY THAT AS A WOMAN AND ANYBODY WHO TWEETS AT ME. OH, WELL, TRUMP DOES INTERVIEWS WITH MIKE PENCE AND J.D. VANCE. SHE HAS DONE NOTHING. SHE HAS SAID NOTHING SINCE SHE WAS ANOINTED THE DEMOCRAT NOMINEE. THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT. AND YOU CRYING SEXISM BY ME SAYING THIS MAKES HER LOOK WEAKER. SO GO AHEAD. SHE HAS TIME