Kamala Harris appears on “60 Minutes” on the Weeklong Media Blitz

• Kamala Harris appeared on CBS' “60 Minutes” on Monday.
• CBS said former President Donald Trump had previously agreed to attend; a spokesman denied this.
• Harris is running a media campaign this week that targets specific voter blockades.

Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “60 Minutes” Monday as part of a media campaign in the final days of her presidential campaign. Not seen on the CBS Newscast: Donald Trump.

One political scientist said the Harris interview was unlikely to change voters' minds – but another said former President Trump's absence could have some influence among undecided voters.

During the interview, Harris highlighted her economic policies and differences with her opponent — although she didn't reveal any new details about a potential Harris administration.

Throughout her campaign, Harris faced criticism from Trump supporters and some media outlets who argued she did not adequately explain her platform or give enough public interviews.

Harris' “60 Minutes” appearance comes amid a weeklong series of high-profile interviews that the vice president has added to her schedule. CBS reported on October 1 that Trump had dropped out of the election special “60 Minutes” after initially agreeing to appear.

When asked about Trump's apparent refusal to participate in the interview, Harris said that people who want to know what he thinks should “watch his rallies.”

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said on X earlier this month that a session with “60 Minutes” was never completed. “There were initial discussions but nothing was ever planned or determined,” he posted on X. “They also insisted on doing a live fact check, which is unprecedented.”

As for Harris, a political scientist told BI that the “60 Minutes” show “didn't feel like a conversation.”

“It felt like a collage with a whole bunch of cut up pieces,” said Susan McWilliams Barndt, a professor of politics at Pomona College in California.

“The '60 Minutes' interview was over-edited, especially compared to Harris' recent podcast interview on 'Call Her Daddy,'” Barndt said.

On Sunday, Harris spoke with Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast. Cooper, 30, has a huge and influential platform, particularly among young women, with an audience only larger than “The Joe Rogan Experience,” as Forbes has reported.

Mike Nellis, a former senior adviser to Harris and organizer of “White Dudes for Harris,” said Harris' targeted appearances – like on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast – were a smart strategy to target specific demographics, such as young women or suburban women to reach . This week, Harris will also appear on “The View,” “The Howard Stern Show” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Still, McWilliams Barndt, the Pomona professor, said Harris didn't say anything in her “60 Minutes” interview that she hasn't said before. “And in our fast-paced social media attention economy, you can’t get attention if you don’t say something new,” she said.

Patricia Crouse, an associate professor of political science at New Haven University, said Harris held her own but was not at her best. She added that Trump's absence from “60 Minutes” was one of the night's biggest takeaways.

“I think like most presidential candidates who do these interviews, her answers were evasive and she didn't answer any of the questions directly,” Crouse said. “Nevertheless, at least she showed up – and that could be good for some undecided voters. I don’t think it was in Trump’s best interest to share the interview.”