The president still isn’t happy about being ushered out of this race. There’s no telling what he’ll do.
And now Biden has kneecapped Kamala Harris’ campaign and Democrats are losing their minds.
President Biden’s bitter attitude towards being ousted from his re-election bid has become all too clear, with growing speculation that he’s deliberately undermining Kamala Harris’ campaign. Since top Democrats pushed him out of the race in July due to his noticeable cognitive decline, Biden has done little to support Harris beyond a lukewarm endorsement, rarely showing up at her campaign events.
And when Harris needed the spotlight, Biden was more than happy to steal it. Just last week, after Harris canceled a Las Vegas campaign stop to rush back to D.C. for a briefing on Hurricane Helene, Biden swooped in and gave his own comments on the storm response, sidelining her completely.
In fact, Biden’s recent behavior has left many shaking their heads, particularly conservatives who are relishing his missteps.
From donning a “Trump 2024” hat during a 9/11 event to singing the praises of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for his hurricane preparedness, Biden seems more interested in elevating his Republican counterparts than boosting Harris.
That praise for DeSantis came just a day after Harris complained that DeSantis didn’t even take her call. Ouch.
Tensions between Biden and Harris’ camps have been simmering for months, with reports suggesting the vice president is walking a tightrope — trying to remain loyal to an unpopular president while also branding herself as the candidate for change.
Jason Meister, a Republican strategist and Trump campaign advisor, didn’t mince words when he said, “Biden is intentionally enacting revenge on Kamala for knifing him in the back. He never liked her. The happiest he’s looked in four years was when he put a red [Trump 2024] hat on.”
Veteran Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf echoed the sentiment, calling Biden’s lack of support for Harris a “power move” to remind everyone who’s still in charge.
“It would be absolutely ridiculous to assume that he has no resentment over how he was treated or how he was forced out in what some would describe as a coup,” Sheinkopf remarked, hinting that Biden is holding a grudge against the woman who’s now supposed to carry his legacy.
Meanwhile, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy suggested Biden may secretly be rooting for Trump, especially given the lackluster support for Harris.
Speaking at a Trump rally in Scranton, Ramaswamy quipped, “Somewhere deep down inside, in a place that he doesn’t want to admit, I think maybe Joe Biden is actually rooting for [Trump].”
Ramaswamy doubled down on this idea, telling the New York Post, “I think it’s clear that Joe is still bruised by what happened. I don’t think he would have won [a second term], but in his views, and those of his family, they probably think they were robbed of it.”
Caroline Sunshine, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, piled on by pointing out that Harris doesn’t need Biden’s help to ruin her own chances. “Harris doesn’t need help sabotaging her campaign because she does that herself every time she speaks without a teleprompter,” Sunshine said.
She also emphasized that Harris and Biden are completely aligned on policy, noting, “Kamala Harris has said herself she wouldn’t do a single thing differently these last four years, and our campaign will be reminding voters of this fact every day between now and Nov. 5.”
White House spokesman Andrew Bates attempted to defend Biden, claiming critics “seem to have missed” that Biden has been “all-in for” Harris since stepping aside.
But this defense rings hollow as Biden continues to bungle opportunities to elevate his vice president, like when he praised DeSantis for his handling of Hurricane Milton — while apparently being unaware that DeSantis had snubbed Harris’ call about the storm.
As the weeks roll on, it’s becoming clearer that Biden’s lukewarm support, or outright sabotage, may be Harris’ biggest obstacle.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
