A Pennsylvania journalist exposed how reporters were blocked from asking questions at a campaign event with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, in Lancaster County on Wednesday.
Walz, who made a brief appearance at the Lancaster County Democratic Committee field office with his daughter, Hope, was reportedly kept away from the press, sparking frustration among journalists eager to ask him questions.
WPMT FOX43 reporter Alyssa Kratz took to Facebook to describe the situation, noting that while Walz spoke to volunteers for about six or seven minutes, reporters were not permitted to interact with him.
“We were also not allowed to put microphones up by Gov. Walz while he was speaking,” Kratz wrote. She added that when one reporter attempted to shout a question, they were promptly told not to “disrupt the program.”
This wasn’t an isolated issue. Kratz later confirmed to Fox News Digital that multiple requests from the press to have Walz answer questions were denied. “We asked as a group… if Gov. Walz could speak by the podium and we could put our microphones on the podium and we were denied,” she explained.
Even when a reporter from a local NBC affiliate tried shouting a question after Walz finished speaking, the campaign shut it down, telling reporters not to disturb his interactions with volunteers.
The incident adds to a growing trend of press avoidance by both Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris since Harris’ campaign launched in July. For more than six weeks, the duo largely dodged media scrutiny, only granting their first formal interview recently in a pre-taped segment with CNN’s Dana Bash.
That interview, too, faced backlash, with many questioning why Harris couldn’t sit down for her first major interview without Walz by her side.
Harris has yet to hold a formal press conference since the campaign began, continuing to raise eyebrows about the campaign’s strategy of shielding both candidates from tough questions. This latest incident in Pennsylvania only further underscores the media’s struggle to hold the candidates accountable, leaving voters in the dark about key issues.
