In a surprising revelation, Kamala Harris, the former vice-presidential candidate, disclosed that Pete Buttigieg, the erstwhile Transportation Secretary, was her initial choice for a running mate.
However, she refrained from this decision, citing the risk associated with choosing a gay man for the role.
In an excerpt from her forthcoming book, Harris expressed her admiration for Buttigieg, stating, "He would have been an ideal partner if I were a straight white man." She further elaborated on the challenges of her candidacy, saying, "We were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man."
She confessed her desire to disregard societal norms but acknowledged the high stakes involved, saying, "Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, lets just do it. But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk."
According to Breitbart, Buttigieg, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, had his own unsuccessful presidential run in 2020. Prior to his nomination as the head of the Department of Transportation (DOT) by former President Joe Biden, he served as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Buttigieg, who now resides primarily in Michigan, was speculated to be eyeing the state's open U.S. Senate seat following Senator Gary Peters' announcement that he would not seek reelection.
However, Buttigieg dismissed these rumors in a March social media post, stating, "I care deeply about who Michigan will elect as Governor and send to the U.S. Senate next year, but I have decided against competing in either race." This statement fueled speculation about his potential presidential run in 2028.
In another excerpt from her book, Harris admitted her regret for not advising Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race sooner. "During all those months of growing panic, should I have told Joe to consider not running? Perhaps. But the American people had chosen him before in the same matchup," she wrote.
She further reflected on the group's collective decision, questioning, "Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness. The stakes were simply too high. This wasnt a choice that should have been left to an individuals ego, an individuals ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision."
Harris also noted Biden's age-related "physical and verbal stumbles," but insisted that it did not indicate "incapacity." While neither Buttigieg nor Biden have publicly responded to Harris's comments, former Biden aides criticized her in statements to Axios last week.
One former Biden White House official bluntly stated, "Vice President Harris was simply not good at the job. She had basically zero substantive role in any of the administrations key work streams, and instead would just dive bomb in for stilted photo ops that exposed how out of depth she was."
The official further argued that Biden was not to blame for Harris's struggles, stating, "Biden is not the reason she struggled in office or tanked her 2019 [presidential] campaign. Or lost the 2024 campaign, for that matter. The independent variable there is the Vice President, not Biden or his aides."
Harris's revelations and the subsequent reactions underscore the complexities and challenges of political alliances, as well as the high stakes involved in the pursuit of the highest office in the land.
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