There is tension between the U.S. president and his deputy. In Washington, there are even rumors of a leadership crisis in the White House….
Joe Biden (79) gave his vice president, Kamala Harris (57), the cold shoulder once again, this time at an event that should really have been heartwarming. The commander in chief helped with serving meals at Thanksgiving, during which time, however, he did not exchange a word with Harris. First Lady Jill Biden (70) also scooped sweet potatoes onto plates. Likewise, she was reserved and only occasionally exchanged a word with Harris.
What Is Going on between Biden and Harris?
It was the first public appearance of America’s two most powerful politicians in more than a week. Again, there was no unity here. Quite the opposite!
The U.S. president is thought to be angry with his vice president, according to the seething rumor mill. Harris’ staff recently leaked her furious remarks to the network CNN after, she believed, Biden had given her nothing but “Mission Impossible” tasks and had otherwise sidelined her.
Because of this trouble, there is already panic among Democratic Party strategists. Holding onto power in the White House in the 2024 election seems a long way off, since the duo is out of favor with the majority of U.S. citizens a year after Biden’s electoral victory, according to grim opinion polls:
— The president’s approval recently sank to an embarrassing 36% in a Quinnipiac poll. The approval ratings of predecessor Donald Trump (75) were rarely so low.
— Even starker are the statistics for Harris: Only 28% of those asked in a poll approve of the unlucky Democrat, who once made a career for herself in California.
It Is Not Going Smoothly for Harris
A year ago, Harris was still considered to be her party’s great hope. Amid the grassroots’ euphoria about the first woman of color as the superpower’s No. 2, there was already speculation at the time about whether she could take over from Biden as the top candidate in three years, should he not run for reelection because of his age. Instead, the former district attorney has proven to be a political non-starter:
— For her first big task, she should have shown strong leadership with the escalating migrant crisis at the Mexican border (1.7 million illegal border crossings in a year). Instead, she persistently refused to get a picture of the situation at the border herself and abruptly dismissed reporters’ related questions.
— Overall, Harris always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong message. During the chaotic and lethal withdrawal from Afghanistan, she appeared in Vietnam as part of a trip to Southeast Asia just when the Americans’ departure from Kabul in helicopters had been compared to the fall of Saigon in 1975.
— Gaffes which have shown Harris in a questionable light were also exploited in the conservative press. After an appearance with young people during which she talked about the space missions commissioned by NASA, it emerged that the participants were hired actors.
— At the most recent meeting with France’s President Emmanuel Macron (43), it sounded as though she was speaking English with a French accent. Of course, what was meant as a charm offensive turned out to be an embarrassment.
More and more frequently, these awkward moments are being compared to the HBO cult series “Veep,” in which actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus (60) as the vice president bolts from one gaffe to the next, surrounded by incompetent staff.
When her team recently made its frustration public, Harris brought Biden’s anger upon herself as well. Officially, she was admittedly defended by his press secretary, Jen Psaki (42), with a political knockout argument that allowed no room for retort: Criticism toward her was “sexist” and “racist,” Psaki said.
Will the Vice President Be Replaced?
The Democrats have long since been having problems. In the latest polls, Trump, should he run, is in the lead in those swing states that carried Biden into the Oval Office in 2020.
As a result, there is apparently already speculation behind the scenes about a possible replacement. Harris could be replaced before the election campaign, Fox News commentator Jesse Watters recently said. There were rumors in the Capitol about possible, imminent, high-profile “confirmation hearings,” he explained.
Harris was U.S. president for just an hour and a half when Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy. Critics meanly comment that this might have already been the pinnacle of the ex-senator’s political career….
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