Report: Biden doubted Harris’ chances of winning the presidential election

The 81-year-old president and his top advisers have expressed concerns about whether Harris is up to the challenge of taking on Trump, sources told the site.

Biden ultimately decided to drop out under pressure from the Republican Party and endorse Harris, but his private concerns reflect broader questions among some Democratic leaders about Harris as their nominee in November.

According to Axios, the next week will be crucial for Harris, 59, to prove doubters wrong as she moves quickly to try to clear the field of potential contenders for the Democratic nomination.

Bill and Hillary Clinton and many Democratic lawmakers quickly endorsed Harris, but others, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Barack Obama, did not.

The relationship between Biden and Harris was often strained. White House staff felt Harris was not good at working within a large team and shied away from any assignment that involved risk.

But some of Harris’s aides also felt that the White House, particularly her official Anita Dunn, was not helping the vice president. At times, Harris aides suspected that the Biden team was not willing to give Harris opportunities to shine to avoid seeing her as his surrogate in the presidential election.

Aides to both told the site that some of the tensions between the Biden and Harris teams stemmed from the fact that the two individuals did not agree on basic principles, adding that Harris was cautious and reluctant to participate in events that were not tightly controlled.

Harris’s time as vice president has also been difficult at times, defined in part by a high turnover rate among staff: Of the 47 staffers listed in 2021, only five were still working for her as of this spring.

Source: Axios