Expert: If Biden leaves race but stays as president, Harris faces dilemma
As doubts grow about President Biden’s mental acuity, the spotlight turns to whether he can step down as the presidential nominee while completing his first term, and what that would mean for Vice President Kamala Harris’ political future.
“She chose politics over national security and history will judge her for that decision,” Howell added, highlighting the implications of Harris potentially taking over the presidency due to Biden’s declining health.
Him stepping down is an implicit endorsement of Kamala Harris being the nominee,” Howell said. “Because she would be the incumbent president at that point, factors into it. What’s happening right now is there’s just going to be a series of rounds of people increasingly calling for it, and obviously President Biden’s trying to resist those calls as much as possible. But I think it’s unavoidable that more and more do call.”
Despite the growing chorus of concerned lawmakers calling on Biden to suspend his re-election campaign due to his poor debate performance and fading vitality, Biden has repeatedly said he is not dropping out of the race.
The advantage that the vice president has is that she’s been adjacent to the Oval Office for the last three and a half years, which is something that no one else can say,” Rashed noted. “I would also say that she’s the only person that’s been nationally, publicly and thoroughly vetted right now, like some of the other candidates have not gone through the sort of vetting process that’s required to run for national office.”
Other potential Democratic candidates who have been floated as options to replace Biden include Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
When asked at a Biden-Harris campaign event in New Hampshire this week, Newsom said Harris would likely win in a hypothetical matchup against former President Trump.
“I have no doubt about that. And that’s from someone that’s also known her longer than most, before we were both in politics,” Newsom said. “But I don’t expect it’s going to come to that.”
Democrats also met behind closed doors Monday as pressure mounted on Biden to drop out of the race. The consensus among most Democrats on the call who suggested Biden should abandon the race was that the party should focus on Harris as a potential successor, according to sources.
Additionally, a recent CNN/SSRS poll shows Harris performing slightly better than Biden in a matchup against Trump.
House Republicans are already on the offense against Harris as a possible replacement for Biden’s candidacy should he step down from the race.
GOP lawmakers dismissed Harris as a political threat to their chances in November, arguing she’s still tied to the same progressive Biden policies they believe are unpopular with voters.
Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Mark Takano, D-Calif., Don Beyer, D-Va., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., reportedly expressed privately that Biden should exit the presidential race as the Democratic nominee on Sunday. Most of them also reportedly said Harris should be the nominee.
Following reports on the meeting, Beyer issued a statement saying he backs the president staying in the race. “I support President Biden. I support the Biden-Harris ticket, and look forward to helping defeat Donald Trump in November. I was proud to host an event this week in Northern Virginia with the President, and will continue doing all I can to support the Biden-Harris campaign in Virginia and across the country.”
