In a candid interview with the BBC, former US Vice President Kamala Harris has shared her introspective thoughts on whether she should have intervened in President Joe Biden’s decision to run for re-election. Harris confessed to pondering if she ought to have initiated a conversation with Biden, urging him to reconsider his candidacy, particularly in light of his performance in a key debate that preceded his withdrawal from the race.
Harris, who ultimately became the Democratic nominee after Biden’s exit but lost the election to Donald Trump, revealed in her memoir, ‘107 Days,’ that she did not directly discuss her concerns about his health and stamina with Biden during her tenure as Vice President. Similarly, the then 81-year-old President Biden did not broach the subject of his re-election with her.
Reflecting on the situation, Harris stated in her book that presidential decisions should not be dictated by personal ambition or ego. She admitted that, in hindsight, she might have considered raising her concerns with Biden directly.
During her conversation with the BBC, Harris elaborated on this, explaining her internal conflict. She questioned whether her restraint was a sign of “grace or recklessness,” highlighting the difficulty in speaking up when her own political aspirations might be perceived as a motive.
The issue of whether those close to President Biden could have more effectively challenged his decision to run has become a significant topic of discussion. While some accounts suggest a cover-up of his physical decline, Biden’s aides have refuted these claims, asserting that while age-related changes were present, there was no evidence of mental incapacity that affected his ability to perform his duties.
Biden himself, in a prior interview, stated that his earlier withdrawal from the race would not have altered the outcome. Harris is currently in the UK promoting her new book and also indicated in the interview that she might consider running for president again in the future, emphasizing that her public service career is far from over.
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