(LibertySociety.com) – Tensions are rising between Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and the Biden White House just weeks before Election Day, with friction emerging over the handling of hurricane relief efforts and campaign strategy. One major point of contention is President Joe Biden’s praise of Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis following two major hurricanes, which some within Harris’ camp see as a misstep.
A Harris campaign staffer criticized the White House for not considering the political impact of Biden’s actions, telling an outlet that “the White House is lacking someone in the room thinking first and foremost about how things would affect the campaign.”
The conflict escalated when Harris attempted to criticize DeSantis for allegedly not taking her phone call amid the hurricane response. She labeled him “utterly irresponsible” and “selfish,” despite having no direct role in the disaster relief efforts. DeSantis denied receiving any such call from Harris and pointed out that she had never been involved in disaster responses in the past, stating that she had “no role” in the process.
Biden, meanwhile, took a different approach, reaching out directly to DeSantis and publicly praising the governor’s cooperation in managing the hurricane crisis. A post from Biden’s social media team stated that he had spoken with DeSantis and other Florida officials to offer support. “My Administration is ready to support both leaders and the people of Florida with any further resources they may need,” the post read.
The day after this, Biden held a press conference during which he praised DeSantis again, saying, “You’re doing a great job,” and even gave the governor his personal phone number for future communication. The timing of the press conference, which coincided with Harris’ appearance on The View, highlighted the disconnect between the two camps.
Biden’s remarks further complicated Harris’ campaign narrative of being a “change candidate” by directly linking her to his policies. “She’s aware of where — we all — we’re singing from the same song sheet,” Biden said, noting that Harris had been a key player in his administration’s legislative successes.
The growing friction appears to stem from Harris’ efforts to distance herself from Biden’s record while managing her own presidential campaign. This tension surfaced after Democrats encouraged Biden to step down from seeking re-election, positioning Harris as the party’s nominee while retaining the campaign funds Biden had already raised.
Copyright 2024, LibertySociety.com
