A new report suggests the relationship between President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has become “frosty” in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election.
According to The Wall Street Journal, since Harris was defeated by President-elect Donald Trump after becoming the Democratic nominee only months before Election Day, sources close to Biden have said the soon-to-be former president has been plagued by thoughts of what could have been had he decided to not drop out from his re-election bid.
Democrat donor, medical technology entrepreneur, and close confidant to Biden, Joe Kiani, told the WSJ after Harris’ defeat, Biden was confident he could have won the election if he had stayed in the race.
“By not running, he was worried Trump would win. He just didn’t want to win at any cost,” Kiani said, adding, “Long term, he thought it was the best thing for the country for the Democratic Party not to splinter.”
However, the WSJ noted the belief Biden could have won the election, was not a commonly held belief among White House staff and the overall Democratic establishment. In fact, most believed the defeat could have been far greater had Biden remained the nominee.
Furthermore, the report points out Harris and her aides had become increasingly frustrated with Biden, with one aide allegedly hinting the president should “take a vacation,” after calling a Trump supporter “garbage” during a call with Latino activists.
Sources close to both Harris and first lady Jill Biden, told the WSJ the relationship between the two women soured further post-election, with sources adding Jill “hasn’t been a fan” of Harris since she accused Biden during a 2020 debate of “opposing busing policies that desegregated schools she attended as a young Black girl.”
According to the report, international trips after the election further entrenched the belief that Biden was no longer up for the demand of his post. Biden’s actions during a trip to Brazil and Peru — which put the president in contact with over 30 international leaders — included closing his eyes during meetings for extended periods of time, in one instance for 50 seconds.
Former National Security Council and National Economic Council member Peter Harrell, told the WSJ that Biden “has to be wishing he was going out on a different set of terms.”
