Joe Biden might have renamed Kamala Harris to his 2024 ticket, however, that does not mean the president is not growing tired of all of her problems and unforced errors.
The Kamala Harris Challenge
Democrats have been embarrassed by Harris’ knack for saying head-scratching things such as that the U.S. is in an alliance with North Korea and her word-salad approach to public speaking.
The president, it would seem, has similar concerns about her competence.
An unnamed former White House official told Reuters back in March, “A point of tension in their relationship is that I don’t think that the president sees her as somebody who takes anything off of his plate … due to fear of messing up.”
Such sentiments echo those former President Barack Obama had about Biden himself. “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up,” Politico quoted a senior Democrat as saying that Obama had said of Biden.
Biden has called Harris a “work in progress.”
In 2021, Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, complained that his wife had limited involvement in official assignments on behalf of the administration, author Chris Whipple wrote in his book “The Fight of His Life.”
The New York Post reported that Biden has been frustrated with Harris’ reluctance to accept her assignment as the administration’s point person on immigration.
Senior Democrats such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren have voiced their consternation over whether or not Harris should be renominated for another four years as Biden’s vice president.
“I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” Warren said during an interview on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio.”
Biden is seeking another term even though he would be 86 at the end of that term – and many say his decision is based on the fact he lacks confidence that Harris could win.
“I think his running for re-election is less about her and more about him, but I do think that she and the Democratic bench [are] a factor.” The New York Post quoted an unnamed former White House official as saying.
Harris Does Have Loyal Supporters
Harris is not without her supporters though.
“If he did not think she was capable, he would not have picked her. But it is a question of consistently rising to the occasion,” that former official said.
Harris gets good marks from Democrats for her handling of the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer as well as her advice when it came to the nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown to the Supreme Court.
Biden’s consternation with Harris has remained private. He, however, has praised her during public appearances.
“You know, our outstanding vice president, you’ve shattered so many barriers and did it mostly on your own,” Biden said about Harris back in March at a Women’s History Month event. “You know, San Francisco, first woman district attorney. California’s first woman attorney general. Doug, you have had such an incredible partner in this historic progress.”
Biden also praised Harris for her support of Obamacare, aka “The Affordable Care Act.”
“Kamala, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done to defend this law as vice president,” Biden said without explaining what he meant.
John Rossomando’s work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award in 2008 for his reporting.
From 19FortyFive
