Kamala Harris under fire for comments on prisoner exchange

The criticism comes as Harris has not held a press conference in the nearly two weeks since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee, following Biden's decision not to seek re-election.

During a brief exchange with reporters, Harris said of the prisoner swap, "This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances."

Her comments drew comparisons to a 2022 incident where she repeatedly emphasized "the significance of the passage of time" during a speech in Louisiana. In that instance, Harris stated, "We were ... talking about the significance of the passage of time. Right? The significance of the passage of time," and continued, "So, when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time in terms of what we need to do to lay these wires, what we need to do to create these jobs."

Despite avoiding unscripted public events, Harris has held two campaign rallies and plans a third in Philadelphia next week, where she is expected to announce her vice presidential running mate. Speculation surrounds potential choices, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan.

The Harris campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment on Vance's criticism.