Chatter around Vice President Kamala Harris has surged amid steadily increasing calls for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race following his debate debacle.
Harris’ name is ciculating the political and online realms at the highest level in years, and that was exacerbated on Wednesday afternoon with a remark from a White House briefing room.
A reporter brought up Biden in 2020 referring to himself as a ‘transition’ candidate and bridge to the next generation of Democratic leaders, and asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if he still believes that.
Jean-Pierre in her answer referred to Harris as ‘president’.
‘One of the reasons why he picked the vice president, President (sic) Kamala Harris, is because she is indeed the future of the party,’ she said during her regular press briefing.
‘And he’s very proud to have partnered with her and continue to partner with her.’
Jean-Pierre went on to say that Biden, 81, and Harris, 59, are ‘ready to go’ and ‘ready to continue’ in the months leading up to the November election.
She sought to dispell rumors that Biden could be dropping out of the race hours after one of his key allies reportedly said ‘he knows if he has two more events like’ the disastrous debate, that he may not be able to salvage his reelection campaign.
And as Americans continue to doubt Biden’s fitness to seek another term, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has told lawmakers that Harris would be the best alternative to Biden if he decides to withdraw, two sources told The Washington Post on Wednesday.
But Biden on the same day insisted that he is still fully charging forward.
‘Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running… no one’s pushing me out,’ Biden said during a call with the Democratic National Committee.
‘I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.’
Biden held a meeting with Democratic governors on Wednesday evening to shore up support for him after he stumbled through his first debate with ex-President Donald Trump last Thursday.
Harris shortly after the debate doubled down on Biden at the top of the ticket.
‘The bottom line is this, let us not decide who is going to be the president of the United States based on the 90-minute debate,’ she said. ‘Let’s measure that decision against the last three and a half years.’
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