Vice President Kamala Harris’ approval ratings have remained low throughout her term, with only 32% of registered voters having a positive view of her
Vice President Kamala Harris stated in a recent interview on Wednesday that she is prepared to fulfill her constitutional duty and assume the presidency if President Biden becomes unable to govern. This statement comes amid ongoing questions about President Biden’s health and age.
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President Biden, who is currently 80 years old and turning 81 in November, remains the oldest serving president in U.S. history. If Democrats were to win again in 2024, he would be 82 when starting a potential second term and 86 at its conclusion. Harris acknowledged that the idea of stepping into the role of president is hypothetical but emphasized her readiness.
“Joe Biden is going to be fine, so that scenario is not likely to happen,” Harris reassured The Associated Press during her attendance at a regional summit in Jakarta, Indonesia. “However, it’s important to recognize that every vice president, without exception, understands that when they take the oath, they must be fully prepared for the responsibility of assuming the role of president.”
She concluded, “I’m no different in that regard.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also addressed concerns regarding President Biden’s age, despite widespread perceptions that he may be too old for the office.
A recent AP/NORC poll revealed that 77% of Americans and 69% of Democrats believe Biden is too old for a second term. Some Republican presidential candidates, including former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, have suggested that voting for Biden would essentially mean voting for Harris.
In response, Harris defended Biden, saying, “I see him every day.” She emphasized that a significant portion of their time is spent together in the Oval Office, where she witnesses his ability to grasp and navigate complex issues in a unique way. According to Harris, Biden’s capacity to make intelligent and crucial decisions on behalf of the American people is evident in their daily interactions.
Harris continued by saying, “And so I will say to you that I think the American people ultimately want to know that their president delivers. And Joe Biden delivers.”
Harris ran for the presidency in 2020 but withdrew from the race following the Democratic primary debates, citing exhaustion. She dropped out of the election in December 2019 and received fewer pledged delegates than other candidates such as Michael Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, or Tulsi Gabbard.
During the interview, Harris also referenced her past experience as a prosecutor while arguing that former President Trump should be held accountable for the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Harris has a background in law enforcement, having served as the San Francisco district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and as California’s attorney general from 2011 to 2017. During the interview, she emphasized the importance of allowing evidence and facts to determine the course of action.
“Let the evidence, the facts, take it where it may,” Harris asserted. She went on to say, “I spent the majority of my career as a prosecutor. I believe that people should be held accountable under the law. And when they break the law, there should be accountability.”
Former President Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is facing four federal indictments, including one in Georgia related to allegations of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
As the 2024 presidential election cycle gathers momentum and Donald Trump looks set to secure the Republican nomination, President Biden and Vice President Harris have expressed concern about a potential threat to American democracy.
“Democracies are very fragile,” Vice President Harris emphasized in an interview Wednesday. “They are only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.”
Harris is currently representing the United States at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit. While some were disappointed by the president’s absence, the White House emphasized his commitment to the region, a point Harris reiterated in his interview.
“As Americans, we have a significant interest in developing and strengthening these relationships in terms of our security and our prosperity now and in the future,” she said.
Throughout her vice presidency, Harris faced consistently low approval ratings, an NBC News poll revealed that she had the lowest approval rating of any vice president in the poll’s history. Only 32% of registered voters had a positive opinion of Harris, while 49% had an unfavorable opinion and 39% expressed a “very unfavorable opinion.”