President Joe Biden sparked controversy on Friday when he made comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’s role in addressing recent national crises, fueling speculation that he is intentionally undermining her presidential campaign.
A reporter asked Biden about Harris’s involvement in recent events, and the president replied that he was in constant contact with her and that she had played a significant role in passing key legislation. However, his words were seen by some as backhanded, with Biden emphasizing that Harris’s staff was “interlocked” with his and that they were working together on various initiatives.
Biden’s remarks were seized upon by CNN pundit Scott Jennings, who accused the president of trying to sabotage Harris’s campaign. “He is literally trying to destroy her campaign and it’s just incredible,” Jennings wrote on social media.
The comments sparked a heated debate online, with some users agreeing that Biden was trying to harm Harris’s chances. Others defended Harris, suggesting that she was struggling on her own without Biden’s interference.
Biden’s comment about Harris being “on the same page” as him was also called into question, given that her campaign was recently accused of plagiarizing policies from his website. The plagiarism allegations surfaced just days before Harris posted her own policy platform on her campaign website.
The timing of Biden’s press briefing also raised eyebrows, as it coincided with Harris’s appearance at a rally in Michigan. CNN had planned to cover Harris’s event, but instead cut away to Biden’s briefing, which some saw as a deliberate attempt to upstage her.