Kamala Harris opens up about ‘complicated’ relationship with Biden, including when he ‘greatly disappointed’ her
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview Thursday that a frustrating phone call she had with Joe Biden ahead of his debate with Donald Trump showed the former president wasn’t focused on his success, citing it as an example of why she has a “complicated” relationship with Biden.
“My inference is that his motivation is all about himself,” he said on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast. “This was not about my performance in the debate.”
Harris described the call moments before her risky confrontation with Trump. Biden said “a bunch of people” in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state, were talking badly about him “because they heard me say bad things about him.”
“I was told he wanted to call me so I could be ready,” Harris said. “I was so sure that this was to cheer me up and say ‘go get them’… When I hung up the phone I was just – it was incredible and I was – yes I was angry and deeply disappointed. It was so unnecessary.”
The podcast presentation, part of Harris’ media tour promoting her book “107 Days,” marked the former vice president’s last candid conversation, retelling the events of her brief and unsuccessful bid for the presidency and the impact of her loss.
Harris said she was still friends with Biden, who she said called her two days ago for her birthday.
“I have great affection for him, and there have been times when I’ve been quite candid about it, and he’s greatly disappointed me and frankly angered me,” he said.
Harris also discussed her perception of Biden’s mental state leading up to his disastrous debate against now-President Trump in June 2024. Harris said in the interview that she didn’t think Biden actually wanted to discuss an early general election, but that was talked about.
“It’s like any competition you enter, whether you’re bidding on something or sports, you have to want it, right?” Harris said. “If you don’t want to participate in the competition, it will definitely have an impact on your performance, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to argue.”
The former vice president also said he is open to running for president again.
“I think the reason I’m running again is because I can make a difference,” he said. “If I feel like I can offer something as president of the United States, it will not only be about cheering up the American people, but it will also be about getting us on the right track.”
Harris was asked if she thought she could send such a message to the country.
“So that’s why I ran away the last time,” he said. “We’ll have to see what happens over the next few months, several months.”
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