The rift between Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris seems to be out in the open after the outgoing US President said he would have beaten Donald Trump had he contested the Presidential elections.
Reacting to the statement, Kamala Harris told her close allies that she was disappointed in what the US President said, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal.
When asked whether he regretted his decision not to run for re-election and whether his decision to quit the presidential race and endorse Kamala Harris made it easier for Donald Trump to win the polls, Biden earlier said, “I don’t think so. I think I would have beaten Trump, could have beaten Trump." He also said, "I think that Kamala (Harris) could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump."
Biden added that despite his belief that he could have won, he dropped out of the race to keep Democrats together. “I didn’t want to be one who caused a party that wasn’t unified to lose an election,” he said. “And that’s why I stepped aside.”
In July 2024, months ahead of the US election, Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, endorsing Vice President Harris as his replacement.
Throughout her vice presidency, Kamala Harris had been reluctant to distance herself from Biden or criticize him. Even as several top Democrats pushed her to break from the unpopular president after she replaced him atop the ticket, Harris refused. She vociferously supported Biden, even after his halting debate performance in June, when several Democrats were calling on him to step aside, and when a special counsel report on Biden’s handling of classified documents amplified concerns about his mental acuity.
However, Biden's recent contention has irked Harris, who is also dealing with a crisis in her adopted hometown of Los Angeles, where wildfires have caused broad destruction, as she transitions out of her public role.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier in December that Biden had privately told people he thought he could have won the election. Biden doesn’t see that position as a critique of Harris’s campaign, people familiar with his thinking told the Journal at the time. He has told people he simply thinks that—as the candidate who triumphed over Trump in 2020—he could have done it again.
Some close to Harris said Biden’s assertion shows the “one-sided loyalty” of their relationship, which had turned into a warm, working one over the years but hit awkward patches when the vice president moved to the top of the ticket. Since the election, signs of frostiness have emerged.
Once such instance was when US presidents paid tributes to former President Jimmy Carter at his funeral this month. At the ceremony, Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, didn’t interact much with the Joe and Jill Biden, who were seated next to them.
On the other hand, tensions between First Lady Jill Biden and Harris have reportedly persisted beyond the recent election. The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that the final months of the Biden presidency have been characterized by a sombre atmosphere at the White House, with aides describing the mood as “depressing” and “draining.”
Following Harris' loss in the November 5 election, Joe and Jill Biden, Harris and Emhoff have reportedly been “frosty” in private settings.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
