Tensions have reportedly risen within the Democratic camp as Election Day nears, with ten insiders informing Axios of a growing rift between Vice President Kamala Harris’s staff and President Joe Biden’s White House team. While Biden’s aides are publicly backing Harris’s candidacy, many are still adjusting to their shift from leadership to support roles after Biden’s decision not to seek re-election. “They’re too much in their feelings,” a close ally of Harris told Axios, referring to the president’s team. This sentiment is reportedly echoed by some within the White House as well.
Members of Harris’s team have reportedly voiced their frustration that senior White House aides are not effectively aligning Biden’s public engagements and messaging with the needs of her campaign. A notable instance of this misalignment occurred last Friday when Biden held an unscheduled press conference in the White House briefing room at the same time Harris was set to speak at an event in Michigan, leading to reduced television coverage for her, according to reports.
Tensions have also emerged within Harris’s campaign, especially between veterans of Biden’s original campaign team and recent additions from Harris’s circle. Following Harris’s securing of the Democratic nomination, there were disagreements about whether Biden’s primary TV surrogates would continue or be replaced by new faces, as reported by two sources to Axios. Ultimately, Harris’s team prevailed, resulting in new surrogates appearing more frequently on television.
Earlier in the week, after Harris publicly criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for not taking her call regarding hurricane response, Biden unexpectedly praised DeSantis for his cooperation and graciousness, further complicating their messaging. A source familiar with the situation informed Axios that Biden had not been made aware of Harris’s prior comments about DeSantis.
Meanwhile, Biden has been vocal about recent successes, such as a strong jobs report and the resolution of a longshoremen’s strike, while Harris has focused on direct economic issues like inflation that impact voters’ daily lives. An individual associated with Harris’ campaign pointed out to Axios, “The White House is lacking someone in the room thinking first and foremost about how things would affect the campaign.”
The friction extends to staff interactions as well. Harris’s team has been striving to increase the staffing in the vice president’s office to meet growing demands, but they have faced delays from the White House in approving these additions, according to two insiders. While the White House has attempted to streamline this process, frustrations have arisen over procedural rules related to staff assignments. Additionally, tensions have escalated as some Biden aides who transitioned to Harris’s campaign feel that their former colleagues perceive them as disloyal for their decision to leave or even consider leaving.
Still, a White House official told to Axios, “Everyone from the president on down knows how important the election is, and we always anticipated a number of staff would want to transition from the administration to the campaign for the final stretch.”
