The White Home Information Photographers Affiliation (WHNPA) known as out Vice President Kamala Harris’ marketing campaign group for “unprecedented discount in entry” over the previous a number of weeks, in keeping with an August letter obtained by Axios.
Jessica Koscielniak, president of the WHNPA, addressed her Aug. 28 letter to prime Harris aides expressing concern that “the 4 unbiased information photographer seats have been downgraded to at least one” on Air Drive Two, Axios reported Thursday. Koscielniak steered in her letter that the marketing campaign contemplate including a “chaser airplane” for extra media or the White Home Correspondent Affiliation reorganizing who will get a seat on the airplane, in keeping with Axios.
“The present state of affairs places the nonetheless photographers at a definite drawback on each journey,” Doug Mills, a veteran White Home information photographer talking in his private capability to Axios, advised the outlet.
“It’s important to us for folks to know the significance of getting a full photographer pool. Each photographer sees every occasion in a different way,” he continued.
New: In an Aug. 28 letter obtained by Axios, the WH Information Photographers Affiliation stated Harris’ group was participating in an “unprecedented discount in entry.”
The VP’s group didn’t reply till final night time after we requested in regards to the letter
W/ @sarafischer https://t.co/OOch8LDqWX pic.twitter.com/qkl5MaStBr
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) September 12, 2024
Koscielniak advised Axios that since sending the letter she had not obtained a response and the state of affairs had not improved. Harris’ workplace appeared to reply to the letter for the primary time Wednesday, which Axios famous was after they reached out for remark. When confronted about their preliminary lack of response, Harris’ workplace advised Axios they’d “been in fixed communication with the Chair of the White Home Correspondents’ Affiliation because the Workplace labored to discover options to extend press entry.”
The vp’s workplace stated they’d inquired about Koscielniak’s considerations and requests however they “discovered each strategies aren’t viable given obtainable sources, together with personnel and plane,” in keeping with an electronic mail obtained by Axios.
“It’s very disappointing,” Koscielniak advised Axios of Harris’ workplace’s response. “That is the smallest variety of media to journey for a presidential race in my reminiscence. When Vice President Harris turned the presidential nominee, it ought to have been negotiated by the WHCA that the total 13 member journey pool be on her airplane.”
Since launching her presidential marketing campaign, Harris has confronted scrutiny for her lack of unscripted moments and failure to regularly have interaction with the press. Regardless that former President Donald Trump doesn’t have a touring press pool on the marketing campaign path with him, Axios notes that Harris’ competitor has engaged with the press greater than her. Her first sit-down interview got here greater than a month into her presidential marketing campaign and fairly than being solo, the vp introduced her operating mate alongside too. (RELATED: Harris Fails To Explain Flip-Flops, Says She Has No Regrets About Biden In First Interview)
In that interview, Harris failed to reply to why she had flip-flopped on a number of coverage points since hitting the marketing campaign path.
“Usually talking, how ought to voters have a look at a number of the modifications that you simply’ve made that you simply defined a few of right here in your coverage?” CNN’s Dana Bash requested.
“I believe a very powerful and most vital facet of my coverage perspective and choices is that my values haven’t modified,” Harris responded.
