Harris Calls Her Relationship With Biden 'Complicated'

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, promoting her memoir 107 Days, described her relationship with Joe Biden as "complicated," saying she has affection for him but was "greatly disappointed" and sometimes angered by his actions. She recounted a pre-debate call in which Biden relayed that people in Pennsylvania were saying bad things about her — a remark she called unnecessary and self-serving — and said she could tell "something was a little off" when he called from debate camp. Harris said she did not think Biden wanted to debate Donald Trump and was likely "talked into it," adding that his reluctance and lack of readiness would harm performance. She watched the June 2024 debate from Los Angeles with a small team and said she was stunned by the widely panned performance that many observers say precipitated Biden's decision to drop his reelection bid. While sharply criticizing the White House's handling of narratives about her in the book and interviews with Steven Bartlett, she also defended Biden on Jon Stewart's podcast as "fully competent to serve," and she is touring the country promoting 107 Days, prompting debate within the Democratic Party about leadership and her possible future political ambitions.