Vice President Kamala Harris is seemingly nonplussed by Republicans’ constant harping that she might become President of the United States should President Joe Biden become too old or indisposed to do his job, saying that she is “very clear” about what she needs to do should the situation arise.
However, she clarified that the scenario “is not going to come to fruition” and that questions of whether she would become president were purely hypothetical.
“Joe Biden is going to be fine,” Harris told the Associated Press during an interview in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“But let us also understand that every vice president — every vice president — understands that when they take the oath they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have to take over the job of being president. I’m no different,” she said.
Harris, who was in Jakarta to attend a regional summit, also dispelled rumors and talk about the president’s capacity to continue to hold office.
“Our president has been an extraordinary leader who has accomplished things that previous presidents hope and dreamed and promised they would do and did not achieve,” the vice president told the AP.
“I see him everyday,” she added. “A substantial amount of time we spend together is in the Oval Office where I see how his ability understand issues and weave through complex issues in a way that no one else can, to make smart and important decisions on behalf of the American people, have played out,” Harris said of the president.
Kamala Harris on Ukraine vs. Russia, Trump Indictments
The vice president’s interview did not only touch on the president’s age, but also tackled issues regarding the war in Ukraine, and the indictments of former president Donald Trump.
Harris expressed concern over reports that Russia is asking North Korea for additional weapons to use in the former’s efforts to invade Ukraine, saying that given that the U.S. has deemed Russia to have committed “crimes against humanity” and “the idea that any nation would give ammunition to a country that has committed crimes against humanity” was “ill-advised,” the vice president said.
The vice president also spoke on the events following the results of the 2020 presidential elections, saying that she “hopes and prays” that there will be no more “political violence” and expressed gratitude that “the American people and our system of democracy and rule of law are holding people accountable.”
Asked about the multiple cases former president Trump is facing, Harris said that she “absolutely” believes that the former chief executive should be held accountable for any crimes he is proven to have committed.
“I spent the majority of my career as a prosecutor. I believe that people should be held accountable under the law,” she said, adding that “everyone has their right to their day in court. Let the evidence, the facts, take it where it may.”
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
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