Former Vice President Kamala Harris says that Democrats made a mistake and it was “recklessness” to permit President Joe Biden to make the choice alone on working for reelection, saying the selection shouldn’t have been “left to a person’s ego.”
In an excerpt from her forthcoming e book, “107 Days,” printed in The Atlantic Wednesday morning, Harris, in a outstanding turnaround, mentioned “as loyal as I’m to President Biden, I’m extra loyal to my nation,” and lamented her time in Biden’s administration, saying “getting something optimistic mentioned about my work or any protection in opposition to unfaithful assaults was virtually not possible.”
Harris mentioned the president’s employees fueled adverse tales about her efficiency as vice chairman and infrequently refused to defend her in opposition to assaults in opposition to Republicans, together with the narrative that she had a “chaotic” workplace and unusually excessive employees turnover throughout her first yr.
“I used to be the primary vice chairman to have a devoted press pool monitoring my each public transfer,” Harris mentioned. “Earlier than me, vice presidents had what’s known as a ‘supplemental pool,” as the primary girl does, protecting vital occasions. Due to this fixed consideration, issues that had by no means been particularly newsworthy in regards to the vice chairman have been abruptly reported and scrutinized.”
At one other level within the excerpt, Harris defended Biden, dismissing those that say he was incapable of serving as president.
ABC Information has reached out to the Biden camp for remark.
In Could, Biden, in a wide-ranging interview on ABC’s “The View,” mentioned he was not shocked by Harris’ loss within the 2024 presidential election, however not due to her {qualifications} as a candidate — as an alternative, pointing to what he mentioned was sexism and racism leveled in opposition to her.
“I wasn’t shocked, not as a result of I did not suppose the vice chairman was probably the most certified particular person to be president … I wasn’t shocked as a result of they went the route of — the sexist route, the entire route,” Biden mentioned.
However Biden, individually in the identical interview, mentioned he nonetheless thinks he would have overwhelmed Trump if he had stayed within the race.
“Yeah, he nonetheless bought seven million fewer votes,” Biden mentioned of Trump, noting by how a lot he beat Trump within the 2020 election common vote.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivers the keynote speech on the Emerge twentieth Anniversary Gala in San Francisco, April 30, 2025.
Godofredo A. Vesquez/AP
When requested to answer claims that he ought to have dropped out of the race and endorse Harris sooner, Biden mentioned within the interview that Harris nonetheless had an extended interval to marketing campaign and that they labored collectively “in each resolution I made.”
Biden additionally denied reporting that claimed he had suggested Harris to counsel that there was no daylight between the 2 of them — saying that they have been companions and labored collectively.
Harris, nevertheless, now sees this barely otherwise.
“When the tales have been unfair or inaccurate, the president’s internal circle appeared high-quality with it,” Harris mentioned within the excerpt from her e book. “Certainly, it appeared as in the event that they determined I needs to be knocked down somewhat bit extra.”
“Their considering was zero-sum: If she’s shining, he’s dimmed,” Harris mentioned. “None of them grasped that if I did properly, he did properly. That given the issues about his age, my seen success as his vice chairman was important. It will function a testomony to his judgment in selecting me and reassurance that if one thing occurred, the nation was in good fingers. My success was vital for him.”
“His workforce didn’t get it,” Harris mentioned.
