White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Biden is “not at all” holding Vice President Kamala Harris back and has been “really clear about passing the torch” following his decision to drop out of the 2024 race.
Jean-Pierre made the remark after Biden said last night that Harris is “going to cut her own path” if elected president, and just days after reports emerged of growing tension and miscommunication between the White House and the Harris campaign.
“Kamala and I have specific plans to bring down the cost of housing, child care, elder care and more,” Biden said during a campaign event for Harris in Philadelphia.
“Every president has to cut their own path. That’s what I did. I was loyal to Barack Obama, but I cut my own path as president. That’s what Kamala is going to do. She’s been loyal so far, but she’s going to cut her own path,” Biden added.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden attend a campaign event at the IBEW Local Union #5 union hall in Pittsburgh, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
When asked Wednesday at the White House press briefing if Biden feels he has held Harris back, Jean-Pierre said, “No, not at all.”
“I’m not going to speak to politics from here, but what I can say more broadly is that every president has the opportunity to cut their own path. And the president has been really clear about passing the torch,” Jean-Pierre said, “and seeing Vice President Harris as a leader from day one.”
“He’s incredibly proud of her. He has supported her from day one,” she also said. “He has said many times the best decision that he made in 2020 was asking her to be his running mate.”
However, an Axios report alleged Sunday that there are growing tensions between the White House and the Harris campaign.
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President Biden gives remarks on the effects of Hurricane Milton on the White House campus on Oct. 10. He said Tuesday night that Harris will have to “cut her own path” if elected president. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
National political correspondent Alex Thompson reported that “many senior Biden aides remain wounded by the president being pushed out of his re-election bid and are still adjusting to being in a supporting role on the campaign trail.”
Thompson wrote the main issue with some Harris campaign members is that White House aides “aren’t sufficiently coordinating Biden’s messaging and schedule to align with what’s best for the vice president’s campaign.”
Thompson cited recent conflicts such as Biden holding an impromptu press conference on Friday while Harris was attending an event in Michigan.
Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two on departure from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
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Another notable incident included Biden complimenting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for handling recent hurricanes shortly after Harris criticized DeSantis for not taking her calls. Thompson wrote that a person familiar with the situation said Biden wasn’t briefed on Harris’ comments before praising DeSantis.
Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.