Former Obama official defends Harris not talking to press if it 'helps her win:' 'Tone it down folks'

Amid calls for Vice President Harris to demonstrate her competence with unscripted media appearances, one former Obama official scolded those complaining to "tone it down" because the only thing that matters is winning. 

Michael McFaul, the former U.S. ambassador to Russia under President Obama, said Harris has no "moral obligation" to speak to the press if it doesn’t benefit her campaign.

"The paramount objective for @KamalaHarris is to win this election," the NBC News international affairs analyst said on X. "If a press conference helps her win, she should do it. If not, she shouldn’t do it. It’s just that simple. She has no ‘moral obligation’ to talk to the press. Tone it down folks."

Former Obama official Michael McFaul defended Harris' lack of unscripted media appearances, arguing she must do what she needs to win. (McFaul photo by Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images | Harris photo by Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Some social media users noticed, however, that McFaul has made precisely the opposite argument in the past.

Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins pointed to a 2019 post from McFaul. 

After a Moscow reporter asked Edward Snowden, "Is it true that you don't want to talk to Russian journalists? If yes, why?" McFaul had responded, "Good question from @ElenaChernenko to @Snowden. People who believe in truth and transparency should not be afraid of the press."

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waits to speak at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 on August 8, 2024 in Wayne, Michigan. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) ((Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images))

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Another user shared that in December 2022, McFaul wrote a similar statement about Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, "Putin canceled his traditional end-of-the-year press conferences. When things are going badly, even facing a very controlled press corps is unpleasant."

McFaul responded to a Trump interview in 2020 by arguing, "Journalists in democracies are supposed to ask tough questions!"

He urged Republicans in 2019 to have impeachment witnesses hold press conferences, because "If everything is peachy keen, should be no problem right?" 

"Republicans ranting about the lack of alleged transparency of Schiff hearings should encourage witnesses to hold press conferences," McFaul wrote. "It’s a free country. I’m sure reporters would love to ask them questions. If everything is peachy keen, should be no problem right?"

Meanwhile, commentators argued McFaul's Tuesday post revealed much about the mentality of left-leaning elites in media and government.

"This is the mentality of the US ruling class, stated as explicitly as can be," independent journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote. "The only thing that matters is our empowerment. We have no obligation to be accountable to anyone, to explain ourselves to any of you. If we choose to do so, it's only because it's in our interests."

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Rufo made a similar argument, "Funny how much the ‘save our democracy’ crowd hates the actual tradition and process of democratic governance. It's nothing more than an inconvenience—an affront to their natural right to rule. A vote for Trump, in this sense, is an actual vote for the republic."

"I appreciate the candid admission that the left is done with any illusion of public accountability or the marketplace of ideas," The Blaze personality Auron MacIntyre said.

Attorney and writer Erielle Azzerad joked, "We’ve gone from ‘democracy dies in darkness’ to ‘this is darkness, but you’re gonna like it.’"

"Haha whatever maximizes her chances for power is right and what the people deserve," commentator James Lindsay suggested. "Straight Marxism. Marxism says the right thing to do is always what advances the implementation of socialism, and it says so explicitly."

Throughout Harris’ tenure in the Biden presidency, she has frequently been mocked for so-called "word salads" and gaffes. Both Harris’ allies and critics appear to agree that Harris is vulnerable during unscripted appearances, to the point CNN published a report arguing the Trump campaign was trying to "goad" Harris into a situation where she has "historically been more vulnerable" in un-scripted appearances.

Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..