President Biden’s poor performance in the debate has thrust Vice President Harris into the spotlight.
After Biden struggled against former President Trump, Harris appeared on television to defend her running mate’s record and ability to get the job done, but she has also been at the center of a debate among Democrats about whether Biden should step aside, which would likely put Harris over the top in November’s election.
Harris finds herself in a tricky position as she tries to reassure nervous lawmakers about the Democratic Party’s chances of success in this year’s election while also positioning herself as a potential future leader.
“Honestly, she was consistent, to the point, concise and sharp,” one Democratic donor said. “Her arguments may be called into question over the next 30 days. People will be watching her and testing her to see if she’s ready.”
One Democrat who served in the Obama administration said Harris “is clearly intent on making a point about what they’ve accomplished.”
The advisor pointed to a comment made by former President Obama in which he likened important political moments to a relay race.
“This is a transitional period with both she and Biden holding the baton, but clearly they will need her to complete the campaign,” they said.
Biden faced off against Trump in a disastrous debate on Thursday night, with the president’s voice sounding raspy for much of the 90 minutes, his speech frequently stammering, his thoughts at times stuttering and struggling to get his points across clearly.
Many Democrats were quick to slam Biden’s behavior and raised the idea that he should resign ahead of the party’s convention in August.
As a result, Harris ended up defending her running mate on the same network where anchors and pundits were discussing the possibility of Biden dropping out of the race.
“We can argue about style, but ultimately this election and who becomes president of the United States has to be about substance,” Harris said, acknowledging that Biden had “got off to a slow start.”
The vice president was not asked about or addressed the issue, which has drawn public attention, that she is the most likely candidate to replace Biden if he were to leave office.
The vice presidential team on Friday denied talk of a candidate not being included on the Democratic nomination.bothBiden and Harris.
“Vice President Harris looks forward to serving a second term alongside President Joe Biden,” Harris spokesman Ernie Apleza said in a statement.
Biden’s campaign and White House officials similarly denied rumors that the president would withdraw from the race after Thursday’s debate. At a rally in North Carolina early Friday afternoon, Biden acknowledged the challenges of being on the debate stage but insisted he was up to the task.
But Democratic strategists have downplayed the possibility of an open convention if Harris were to withdraw, arguing she is the logical choice given her position as vice president and warning of the risks of ignoring Black women who are already on the shortlist for other nominations.
Ms. Harris made a lot of headlines when she announced her own presidential bid in 2019, most notably during a debate with Mr. Biden on school busing. But she was unable to translate initial enthusiasm for her candidacy into tangible support, struggled to connect with voters and craft a clear message, and ultimately dropped out before the Iowa caucuses.
When Biden was considering Harris as his running mate, some allies warned that she would tend to her own political pursuits while in the vice presidency. Aware of that perception, Harris has sought to be a loyal soldier.
“She knew if it was Kamala’s show, it would make her look terrible,” one Democratic strategist said.
Harris got off to a shaky start as vice president, stumbling over her messaging on immigration and struggling to rally support for a voting rights bill even as she made the issue a personal one.
But in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Ms. Harris has come into her own and become a valuable figure, traveling the country to speak about reproductive rights and becoming the face of the White House and campaign on an issue Democrats hope will tip the election in their favor.
Harris also traveled abroad to meet with world leaders and discuss the conflict in Ukraine.
“In a ferocious post-debate interview, Vice President Harris really played to her strengths: She’s a strong communicator, an effective leader and a strong partner to President Biden,” said Rachel Palermo, who served as Harris’ deputy communications director and counsel at the White House.
“She reminded voters that content matters and that the differences between Biden and Trump on the issues are clear,” Palermo added.
There has been little polling on Harris’ chances of winning if elevated to the top spot in 2024, but available data suggests she could fare similarly to Biden.
FebruaryNew York Times/Siena College PollThe hypothetical matchup found Harris trailing Trump by six percentage points among likely voters, 42 percent to 48 percent. Her vote share was only slightly worse than Biden, who was trailing Trump by four percentage points, 44 percent to 48 percent, in that survey at the time.
The same poll found that 38% of voters have a favorable view of Harris, while 54% have an unfavorable view of her.
Republicans have used Biden’s age to attack Harris’ chances of becoming president, with Nikki Haley making it a central focus of the election’s failure, suggesting that a vote for Biden in 2024 is actually a vote for Harris.
The Trump campaign ran an ad during Thursday night’s debate highlighting footage of Biden stumbling up the stairs of Air Force One and looking disoriented on stage, before a narrator said Harris was “waiting behind him.”
Thursday’s debate further fueled speculation among Republicans that Harris might eventually find herself in the Oval Office.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he plans to introduce a resolution on Friday urging Harris to convene her Cabinet and declare Biden unable to perform the duties of the Oval Office.
Alex Gangitano contributed
