In the final stretch of the 2024 election, President Biden's attempts to join Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail have been met with vague responses from her campaign team, according to a recent report by Axios.
"Hes a reminder of the last four years, not the new way forward, an anonymous source familiar with the situation told the outlet. Currently, there are no public events scheduled where both Harris and Biden will appear together before Election Day.
As reported by The New York Post, President Biden has been active on the campaign trail, making appearances in Philadelphia, New Hampshire, and Pittsburgh. His solo campaigning in Pittsburgh reportedly surprised some members of Harris' team. This apparent snub of the President is noteworthy, given that Biden's endorsement of Harris, following his withdrawal from the race, was instrumental in her securing the Democratic nomination with minimal opposition.
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates dismissed the report, stating, "There is always speculation in political circles, but this is not accurate. We are in close touch with the campaign to determine when, where and how the president can be helpful.
However, some of Harris' allies were reportedly upset by President Biden's impromptu remark that we gotta lock [Trump] up. Although Biden quickly clarified his statement, saying, Politically, lock him up lock him out, thats what weve got to do, it provided ammunition for former President Donald Trump and other Republican critics.
In comparison to other prominent Democrats, such as former President Barack Obama, Biden has attracted less attention and fanfare. He has also been considering campaigning for Democrats in Senate races in Delaware and Maryland. This comes amid his declining approval ratings, which currently stand at 40.8% approval to 56.6% disapproval, according to the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate.
Despite the negative polling, Harris has been cautious in her comments about Biden, praising his record and largely avoiding criticism. To be very candid with you, even including Mike Pence, vice presidents are not critical of their presidents, Harris told NBC News, referring to Trumps vice president and describing the approach as a tradition.
During interviews, Harris has defended Biden on several issues, including questions about his age and mental competency. However, Republicans have used this to associate her with Biden and the economic challenges experienced under his administration in their ad campaigns against her.
Harris has also made efforts to distinguish her potential presidency from Biden's. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Bidens presidency, Harris told Fox News Brett Baier during a confrontational interview. This statement reflects the delicate balance Harris is trying to strike between distancing herself from Biden and showing loyalty to him, particularly given that he rescued her from political obscurity after her 2020 campaign failed.
Despite Biden's endorsement of Harris after he dropped out of the race, tensions have reportedly arisen between their staff members. Some in Harris circle have allegedly blamed Bidens team for not doing more to support her campaign in terms of scheduling and logistics. There is speculation among Biden loyalists that if Harris wins the election, she may overhaul her team and remove some of them.
A spokesperson for Harris transition team dismissed these allegations, stating, The transition is not doing any personnel selection pre-election, and any speculation to the contrary is fiction. Instead, we are focused on setting up the infrastructure necessary to be ready. The Harris-Walz campaign did not respond to The Post's request for comment.
The situation underscores the complex dynamics at play as Harris seeks to carve out her own political identity while navigating the legacy of the Biden administration. As the election draws near, the question remains: will Harris be able to successfully distance herself from Biden's presidency while still maintaining the loyalty of his supporters? Only time will tell.
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