Top line
Vice President Kamala Harris said “I’m ready” to take on the presidency in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Monday, as concerns about President Joe Biden’s age continue to grow, even as his own poll numbers are still lower than the president’s.
Highlights
Harris was request ” per the Journal, if voters’ concerns about Biden’s age “mean she has to convince them she’s ready to serve,” and Harris said she’s ready to serve, “that doesn’t make any sense.” doubt “.
Harris was interviewed by the Journal on Tuesday, ahead of Thursday’s release of special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified data, which, while not bringing criminal charges against him, characterized him as a “elderly, well-meaning man with a bad memory.
The newspaper reported that after Biden staffers asked Harris to appear on a news show Sunday to defend the president after Hur’s report, she did not want to wait, and said Friday that the president was “at- above and in front of everything.”
Her too critical Hur’s report was called “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate,” and said comments about Biden’s memory and age were “clearly politically motivated.”
Large number
37.5%. This is the percentage of people who approve of Harris as of February 6. according to an average of the latest polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight. Harris’ numbers are still lower than Biden’s approval rating, which is 38.9% as of February 12. according to an average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight.
Tangent
In the Journal interview, Harris discussed the larger role the White House has given her on abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. She said In the Journal, she strives to show people “what has really happened since the Dobbs decision was handed down.” She also took a more prominent role with Biden in discussions about the war between Israel and Hamas.
Key context
Last week, Hur discovered that Biden had mishandled classified documents while he was a private citizen, but chose not to criminally charge him. This decision was made in part because Hur said he believed Biden’s memory problems would have made it difficult to convince a jury that he intentionally engaged in wrongdoing. Throughout the report, Hur criticized Biden’s memory and cited a handful of examples where Biden forgot certain facts, such as the years he served as vice president and the date of his son Beau’s death. In the days since, concerns about Biden’s age and fitness to serve have been amplified by individuals on both sides of the aisle. Biden didn’t help his case when he spoke about the special prosecutor’s report Thursday and mistakenly identified the president of Egypt as president of Mexico. Republicans jumped on the confusion and the report’s conclusions and some even called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, allowing him to be removed from office. The report’s findings and Biden’s errors have led people to further speculate about Harris’ ability to take the presidency.
Further reading
Kamala Harris Slams ‘Politically Motivated’ Special Adviser’s Report Amid Biden’s Memory Problems (Forbes)