In her upcoming memoir, “107 Days,” Kamala Harris candidly discusses her experiences and thoughts regarding President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection in 2024. Scheduled for publication by Simon & Schuster on September 23, the book reveals Harris’s concerns about the implications of that choice and the dynamics within Biden’s inner circle.
Harris is clearly trying to buy time, admitting that she and others hoped to defer the decision about Biden’s reelection to him and first lady Jill Biden. She reflects on this choice with a critical lens, stating, “Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness.” Harris’s statement underscores the gravity of the decision, particularly in light of Biden’s age and health.
As we see through her eyes, the vice president tries to explain why she thinks many of Biden’s staff were worried about her stealing his thunder. This concern, she says, led to a culture that suppressed her voice. Harris does a great job shining a light on how this dynamic shaped her perception. It further damaged Biden’s credibility, especially as the debate over his advanced age and mental acuity rages on.
In her book, Harris recalls a speech she delivered in Selma, Alabama, in March of last year where she advocated for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and urged for more humanitarian aid. She laments the later harmful media treatment of the occurrence, which has been especially worrisome. “And it got shared, very widely, and the West Wing was pissed,” she writes. In fact, they kind of hammered me for having delivered it so well.
Harris goes to bat for Biden’s qualifications to lead the country as president. She is adamant that even at his low point, President Biden’s breadth of knowledge and depth of judgment placed him head, shoulders and heels above president Donald Trump. Second, his insights were amazing. She does admit to the very real and obvious effect that age has been taking on Biden’s performance. At 81, Joe got tired. This is when his age became apparent with stumbles both verbal and physical,” she describes.
So it’s understandable that Harris would feel frustrated at how people around Biden helped create some of the worst narratives about her while she was serving as vice president. She explains how these narratives frequently eclipsed her success and capacity to do her job well. As such, Harris’s success should be viewed not as a threat to the administration, but as an affirmation of Biden’s demonstrated good judgment thus far as a leader. She insists, “My success was very important for him.”
Beyond her expected historic role as vice president, Harris’ record and gambit into national politics were closely watched. Even so, she did not publicly attack Biden, feeling the sea change was too important. She waves these concerns away assuredly, asserting, “I would go public if I truly felt that Joe Biden was incapable.” Her fierce loyalty to the country informs her sentiments. Her statement clearly conveys her understanding of the office she now holds and the duty it entails.
As the political landscape shifts towards the 2024 election cycle, Harris’s insights raise questions about the future of the Biden administration and its readiness to tackle challenges ahead. Her memoir comes out next month. Second, it will lead to a broader discussion of the dynamics of leadership under White House and what’s in store for Harris and Biden.
