Kamala Harris attends Richard Pan campaign event in California

Kamala Harris attended a campaign event in Sacramento for Democrat Richard Pan, who is running for California’s 6th Congressional District against incumbent Republican-turned-Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley. During the appearance at Pan’s campaign headquarters, Harris attempted to deliver a joke that resulted in silence from the gathered campaign staffers.

The event also drew scrutiny regarding media access. Reports indicated that certain news organizations, including the New York Times and KCRA, were not invited to cover the appearance. While a spokesman for Pan’s campaign attributed the decision to Harris’ team, Pan denied banning specific outlets. Rep. Kevin Kiley criticized the situation on social media, stating that freedom of the press should not be a partisan issue.