This is an adapted excerpt from the August 30 episode of “José Díaz-Balart Reports.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s first joint interview aired on CNN Thursday night, and based on what I saw, Harris’ campaign should be pretty proud.

The top candidate on the ticket, Harris, went out and did what she had to do. As for Walz, the governor was able to speak directly to the American people about the Republican attacks on his military service and set the record straight. For voters outside of Minnesota who are less familiar with Walz, I’m sure they got some of the answers they were looking for.

The discourse of the past few weeks would have you believe that Harris hasn’t sat down for an interview since becoming vice president. But the way she conducted herself on Thursday made it clear that she was happy to answer questions. CNN’s Dana Bash did a fine job of peeling back the layers and digging into what the American people really wanted to hear.

People always want more, but Thursday’s interview was a great start. Going forward, voters will need more opportunities to hear from the Democratic slate — in a variety of ways — whether that’s more sit-down TV interviews, print interviews or gaggles with the media between campaign stops.

Overall, no damage was done to the Harris-Walz campaign during the interview, and a little bit of news was released. As a communications veteran, that’s a win from my perspective.

Join Symone Sanders-Townsend, Rachel Maddow and many more on Saturday, September 7 in Brooklyn, New York, for “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” a live event like no other. You’ll see your favorite hosts in person and hear thought-provoking conversations about what matters most in the final weeks of an unprecedented election cycle. Buy tickets here.

Symone D. Sanders-Townsend

Symone D. Sanders-Townsend is an author and co-host of “The Weekend,” which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC. She is a former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and a former senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Allison Detzel contributed.