In a stunning political moment, President Joe Biden inadvertently undercut Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent efforts to separate herself from the administration's missteps during his tenure.
While speaking on The View this past Wednesday, Biden made a statement that many have interpreted as a quiet admission of what insiders have long suspected: Harris has been deeply involved in both foreign and domestic policy decisions from the start. His words, “there wasn’t a single thing that I did that she couldn’t do,” laid bare Harris’s role in the administration, leaving little room for her to distance herself from its failures.
As Biden championed Harris, who is now the Democratic nominee for president, he also made a revealing comment. Biden explained how he delegated to Harris "responsibility on everything from foreign policy to domestic policy."
This statement comes at a pivotal time, as Harris has recently tried to position herself as a break from the past, suggesting her leadership represents a fresh start and a new generation. But Biden’s remarks unintentionally blurred those lines, suggesting that Harris had her hands on the wheel for many of the same policies she now seeks to downplay.
UH-OH🚨: Biden ADMITS on THE VIEW all the failures over the past 4 years are also on Kamala.
"As VP, there wasn't a single thing that I did that she couldn't do and so I was able to delegate her responsibility on everything from foreign policy to domestic policy” - Joe Biden… pic.twitter.com/Aq6ZhkWf8v
— Brandon Tatum (@TheOfficerTatum) September 25, 2024
This moment is particularly problematic for Harris, who has sought to distance herself from several controversial issues that plagued the administration, such as the troubled Afghanistan withdrawal, rising inflation, and the ongoing immigration crisis at the southern border. Her recent campaign statements seem to contradict Biden’s suggestion that she was at the helm alongside him throughout these pivotal moments.
Earlier this month, Harris was clear in her attempts to forge a distinct identity. “Clearly, I am not Joe Biden, and I am certainly not Donald Trump,” she said, presenting herself as the face of a new generation of leadership. However, political commentators were quick to point out the inconsistency in her messaging. Notably, Megyn Kelly stated, “Harris can’t both have the benefit of trying to act like she was tough guy number two,” while now attempting to disavow the very policies she endorsed during Biden’s presidency.
Harris’s policy positions, including her economic proposals, complicate her narrative. Critics have been vocal about how her plans largely mirror Biden’s. For example, her tax plan, which raises taxes on individuals earning more than $400,000, has faced significant opposition from small business owners.
They fear that these hikes will lead to layoffs and rising consumer prices, worsening an already fragile economic landscape. Despite these criticisms, Harris insists that her vision diverges from Biden’s, promising “new ideas” and “policies that are directed at the current moment.”
In a recent interview with Action News 6 ABC in Philadelphia, Harris reiterated this promise of a fresh approach, emphasizing that her focus is on long-term solutions: “My approach is about new ideas, new policies...what we need to do over the next ten, twenty years to catch up to the twenty-first century.” Yet, with Biden’s remarks freshly aired, Harris’s ability to convincingly distance herself from the current administration’s shortcomings becomes an even more challenging task.