Tipsheet

Biden Is Unhappy With Kamala Harris's Performance as VP

President Joe Biden is reportedly irritated with how Vice President Kamala Harris handles her job. But who can blame her when she doesn't know what that entails? 

According to a White House official, Harris is gearing up for another presidential campaign alongside Biden, despite concerns she may not be the best fit for the role. 

The tension in their relationship stems from Harris's inability to help Biden with his so-called "long" list of to-dos. 

"A point of tension in their relationship is that I don't think that the president sees her as somebody who takes anything off of his plate" due to a "fear of messing up," one former White House official told Reuters. 

Another source claimed that Biden, who has yet to announce a re-election campaign, is seeking another term because he fears Harris would be unable to beat former President Trump in the 2024 race should the 80-year-old fall ill during that time. 

"If he did not think she was capable, he would not have picked her. But it is a question of consistently rising to the occasion," the former White House official said. "I think his running for re-election is less about her and more about him, but I do think that she and the Democratic bench [are] a factor." 

The official pointed out that replacing Harris, the first Black and Asian-American U.S. vice president, would not age well for Biden's chances of winning re-election. 

"I think this is actually one of the fundamental strategic challenges for (Biden) ... how to navigate this, it's almost impossible for them to make a change," the White House official said. "You cannot replace your first Black woman vice president and think that Black people and women will just vote for you. He needs her."

Although Harris has fallen short on her vice president duties, such as securing the southern border, Democrats say Biden's re-election campaign will be her time to shine. 

"She is at her best when she gets back to her prosecutorial roots and when she can really make a case, and Democrats are going to need to make one hell of a case to win in 2024," Democratic strategist Lis Smith said.