Kamala Harris declined to be interviewed for a glowing profile in TIME Magazine that was widely panned as propaganda.
The vice president has yet to answer questions from reporters after more than three weeks of campaigning for the presidency - leading to criticism from her Republican rival Donald Trump, who has blasted Harris for hiding from the press.
"They're hiding her no different than him [Joe Biden], because I believe she's grossly incompetent," Trump said at a press conference Thursday.
The TIME article depicts Harris as a figure worthy of reverence whose "moment" has arrived.
Harris' failure to make herself available for an obviously favorable puff piece has been widely mocked.
The article's title, "The Reintroduction of Kamala Harris," has also led to snickering over what many see as a blatant effort by the media to touch up Harris' image and whitewash her record.
The Harris campaign has flipped many of her formerly left-wing positions without explanation.
The puff piece portrays Harris as an Obama-like political star who “pulled off the swiftest vibe shift in modern political history."
The dutiful propagandist who wrote the article stuffed the piece with quotes from her allies, including Pete Buttigieg, Adam Schiff, and gun control activist David Hogg.
Harris spoke to reporters for about 70 seconds last week and made a vague commitment to do an interview by the end of August.
Trump held another press conference on Thursday, his second in as many weeks, as he continues to apply pressure on Harris to begin fielding questions.
Trump blasted Harris on the economy, citing the sharp rise in the cost of living over the past four years as Harris tries to distance herself from the Biden-Harris record.
"Harris has just declared that tackling inflation will be a Day 1 priority for her. It's going to be Day 1. But Day 1, really, for Kamala was three and a half years ago. Where has she been?" Trump said.
Trump also mocked Harris for hiding from the media, saying she is afraid of being exposed as "grossly incompetent."
"I don't have a lot of respect for her. I don't have a lot of respect for her intelligence. And I think she'd be a terrible president," he said.
