Marc Benioff, the owner of Time magazine, publicly criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her refusal to grant an interview to the magazine, a stark contrast to both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who have been more forthcoming.
Benioff’s statement on social media highlighted the importance of transparency, an issue he directly tied to Harris’s reluctance to engage with the publication, despite repeated requests.
Benioff’s frustration is especially noteworthy given Time’s generally favorable coverage of Harris. The magazine’s latest feature, written by Charlotte Alter, largely casts Harris in a positive light, while acknowledging that she has avoided deeper scrutiny of her policies. Harris’s refusal to be interviewed for this article raised eyebrows, especially since both Biden and Trump have previously participated in extensive Time interviews, published with full transcripts.
TIME Magazine, who posted propaganda supporting Kamala after the coup against Biden, is now publicly calling her out for rejecting their interview requests. Owner Marc Benioff pointed to the fact that even Trump has granted them an interview
“Despite multiple requests, TIME has… pic.twitter.com/AafN2lvVlI
— George (@BehizyTweets) October 14, 2024
In her article, Alter noted that Harris has favored more controlled media environments, opting for interviews with local outlets, podcasts, or friendly shows like The View and The Howard Stern Show.
Harris’s avoidance of tough, in-depth questioning has sparked criticism from various quarters, particularly from those seeking a more thorough understanding of her evolving policy positions.
The avoidance is even more conspicuous when considering Time’s history of liberal-leaning content, which has often criticized Trump and other Republicans. The magazine has celebrated Harris in past pieces, including a glowing August cover story that similarly lacked an interview with her. Alter quoted Harris allies like Pete Buttigieg and Bakari Sellers, but without direct engagement from Harris herself, the portrait remains incomplete.
“Harris declined repeated requests for an interview for this story. In contrast, Trump talked about his policy vision with a TIME reporter for 90 minutes across two interviews. Biden spoke to TIME at similar length before dropping out of the race.” https://t.co/5wUbsSsLoR
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) October 13, 2024
Benioff’s criticism highlights the broader issue of transparency in political campaigns. As the election nears, Harris’s selective media appearances—where she mostly engages with sympathetic hosts and platforms—risk portraying her as evasive. Meanwhile, independent voters like Rodrigo Lopez, quoted in the Time feature, remain skeptical of her reluctance to offer detailed explanations for her political shifts.
