Former Vice President Kamala Harris suggested on Sunday that she harbored no doubts about former President Joe Biden’s ability to serve as president, but did question his capacity to run a successful reelection campaign.
In an interview with “BBC Sunday with Laura Kneunssberg,” Harris clarified that her concerns focused squarely on the political viability of his candidacy, not his mental acuity for the Oval Office.
“I ask, was it on my behalf, grace, or recklessness to not raise the point with him about whether it was right for him to run? But let’s be clear, my question was never about his capacity to be president,” Harris told the BBC.
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The former Vice President’s comments come after a tumultuous period for Biden’s 2024 campaign, which culminated in his withdrawal from the race on July 21, 2024. Following a widely criticized June 27, 2024, debate performance—where Biden appeared visibly confused and spoke with a noticeably raspy voice—a chorus of 37 congressional Democrats and independents urged him to step aside, citing concerns about his ability to defeat the then-presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump.
The debate performance intensified pre-existing scrutiny over the former president’s health. According to the book “Original Sin,” co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, some Democrats and media figures allegedly took steps to obscure signs of Biden’s physical and mental decline. The book alleges that aides attempted to shield Biden from spontaneous press interactions, provided him with pre-prepared notecards during conferences, and took extreme care to prevent falls or the need for a wheelchair.
Harris, who stepped in to run a 107-day campaign after Biden’s withdrawal, ultimately lost the election to Donald Trump, failing to carry a single swing state and losing the popular vote. During the same BBC interview, she signaled a potential future return to the political arena, stating she may run for president again.
The internal rift within the Democratic Party following Biden’s exit was underscored by the departure of former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Jean-Pierre exited the party in June, citing a “betrayal” of Biden, and stated on Tuesday that the party had treated the former president in a “disrespectful” and “humiliating way.”
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