‘There’s Just No Value’ in Speaking to the New York Times or Washington Post Anymore, Says Kamala Harris Deputy Campaign Manager

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Rob Flaherty, the former deputy campaign manager for Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign, claimed there was “just no value” in candidates speaking to mainstream newspapers like The New York Times or Washington Post.

During an interview Monday with Semafor media editor Max Tani about the Harris campaign’s media strategy, Flaherty claimed, “There’s just no value — with respect to my colleagues in the mainstream press — in a general election, to speaking to the New York Times or speaking to the Washington Post, because those [readers] are already with us.”

As evidence for his argument, Flaherty recalled Harris’s viral conversation with Fox News host Bret Baier.

“One of the most important moments of the campaign for the vice president was her interview with Bret Baier,” he said. “That was a huge fundraising moment. It was a huge social moment.”

Citing President-elect Donald Trump’s “smart” campaign stunt serving burgers and french fries at a McDonald’s drive-thru, Flaherty added, “I don’t think TV is dead. It’s still probably the most important thing, but it’s the literal TV and what’s on it that matters.”

Flaherty also predicted that in the near-future, the Democratic Party’s left and center-left base would start to drift away from the mainstream media.

“They’re never going to not trust The New York Times, and they’re never going to distrust the Washington Post,” he acknowledged. “But I think that in a Trump era, you’ll start to see frustrations with the mainstream media come to a boil. And I think there will be smart people who try to fill the gap — more individuals who create content on left and center-left messaging.”