Support truly
independent journalism
In the nearly ten days since President Biden shocked the world by announcing that he would withdraw from his quest for a second term and endorse Kamala Harris in his stead, Washington has buzzed with speculation over who Harris might choose as a running mate.
When asked if he’s spoken to her about the veepstakes early on Tuesday morning as he returned from a trip to Texas, Biden replied: “We’ll talk.”
Harris could do worse than to take counsel from the 46th president. Biden has experience on both ends of that equation, having been selected for the number-two job by Barack Obama in 2008, and having selected Harris to be his own running-mate during his victorious run against Trump twelve years later.
Biden and his possible successor are understood to speak regularly. They also meet for lunch at semi-regular intervals, and Harris has joined Biden in-person for his President’s Daily Brief on occasion. She also has an office in the West Wing, just steps away from the Oval Office where Biden spends his working hours.
Asked about Biden’s early-morning comments about consulting with Harris later on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre demurred. In doing so, she cited an inability to comment on election-related matters because of the Hatch Act, a nearly century-old ethics law which prohibits federal workers from engaging in partisan political activity on the job.
But she did tell reporters that Harris and Biden “talk regularly” and last spoke “about a day or two ago.”
“They stay in touch and and that's going to continue ... not just because, obviously, the vice president is running, but that's going to continue because, as I said, she's a critical partner in what they do,” she said.
Jean-Pierre added that Biden “has been in public service for more than 54 years,” and said that in his dual roles as president and leader of the Democratic Party, he “always offers up advice, any type of little bit of wisdom that he has” based on his “experience on these multiple fronts” as a senator, vice president and as president.
She added that Biden has regularly “offered his advice, his opinion” and has been “a mentor” to Harris.
