The 2024 election was a disaster for Kamala and the Democrats. But some could see the writing on the wall.
And a new bombshell report exposes what these Biden allies really think about Kamala Harris.
Behind the Scenes: Biden’s Aides Warned Against a Harris Swap in Explosive New Book
In a revealing glimpse into the chaotic lead-up to President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race, a forthcoming book casts a light on the friction between Biden’s inner circle and Vice President Kamala Harris. According to excerpts published by The Guardian from Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, Biden’s aides didn’t hold back in their efforts to keep him atop the Democratic ticket—warning donors that swapping him out for Harris would be a “mistake.”
The book, penned by NBC News reporter Jonathan Allen and The Hill’s Amie Parnes, dives into the tense months before Biden stepped aside in July. It paints a picture of a team fiercely protective of the president, especially as some party bigwigs grew jittery about his age.
The aides didn’t mince words, reportedly telling donors that pushing Biden out would only pave the way for Harris—and that, they argued, was a gamble the party couldn’t afford. “One donor on the receiving end of an electronic message summed up the sentiments of Biden’s top aides: ‘They were aggressively saying that we would wind up with the vice-president and that would be a mistake,’” the excerpt reveals.
A source close to the situation doubled down, telling the authors that Biden’s crew believed Harris was a nonstarter. “The last threat, the ace in the hole, was Kamala Harris. Even if Biden did drop out and you got your dreamed-up open convention, you would only succeed in nominating the vice-president,” the source explained.
“Is that what you want? You want her? Look at her polling. No one wants her. Forget it. It’s never gonna happen.” It was a blunt warning: Harris, in their view, couldn’t carry the day.
Yet, the book doesn’t shy away from Biden’s own struggles. Just days after his shaky June debate performance against Donald Trump, the president reportedly stumbled. At a donors’ event hosted by then-New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Biden relied on fluorescent tape as “colorful bread crumbs [that] showed the leader of the free world where to walk.”
An aide confided to the authors, “He knows to look for that.” Other snippets, released by The Guardian on Wednesday, note Biden’s dependence on an “autocue” for supposedly off-the-cuff remarks, with the authors observing that he “didn’t look well.”
Despite the pushback from Biden’s camp, the party’s mood toward Harris wasn’t exactly glowing. One seasoned operative quipped, “Well, at least she has a pulse,” a backhanded nod to the resignation many felt. When Biden finally bowed out in July, he threw his support behind Harris, who locked up the nomination without a fight. She ultimately fell to Trump in November.
The book, set to hit shelves in April, also peels back the curtain on Biden’s hopes for Harris. An earlier excerpt from The Hill revealed he “expected Harris to protect his legacy” and insisted on a united front. “He would say publicly that Harris should do what she must to win. But privately, including in conversations with her, he repeated an admonition: let there be no daylight between us,” the authors write. It’s a glimpse into a partnership that, at least in Biden’s mind, was meant to stay tight-knit.
Democrats’ Post-Election Regrets Over Harris
As the dust settled after the 2024 election, a wave of second-guessing swept through Democratic circles about the decision to rally behind Harris.
Her campaign, while energetic, struggled to shake off perceptions of being tied too closely to Biden’s record—especially as inflation and border security dominated the conversation.
Others pointed to her polling woes, which Biden’s aides had flagged early on. Harris’s approval ratings had hovered in shaky territory throughout her vice presidency, and her 2024 run didn’t turn the tide. Swing-state voters, in particular, seemed unmoved by her pitch.
The regret wasn’t universal—Harris still had her defenders, who argued she faced an uphill battle against a polarized electorate and a relentless Trump campaign.
But for many Democrats licking their wounds, the “mistake” Biden’s aides warned about lingered as a bitter what-if. Could another contender, unburdened by the VP label, have changed the outcome?
It’s a question that’s sure to haunt party debates as they gear up for the next fight.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
