White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre touted Vice President Kamala Harris as the “future of the party” on Wednesday, as speculation about replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee continues nearly a week following his mediocre debate performance.
Asked by a reporter whether Biden believes he is still a “bridge to the next generation of Democratic leaders,” as he described himself in 2020, Jean-Pierre answered in the affirmative and explained that’s why he chose Harris as his running mate four years ago.
“One of the reasons why he picked the vice president,” the press secretary said, “is because she is indeed the future of the party, and he’s very proud to have partnered with her and continue to partner with her.” The pair is “ready to go” and “ready to continue” in the remaining months before the November 5 election, she added.
While Democratic Party operatives and liberal media pundits have floated the idea of Harris or an alternative Democrat replacing Biden on top of the 2024 ticket, Jean-Pierre dismissed the idea during Wednesday’s White House press conference and maintained Biden would stay in the race.
Biden said the same during a Democratic National Committee call also on Wednesday: “Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can, as simply and straightforward as I can: I am running . . . no one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving. I’m in this race to the end and we’re going to win.”
Despite Biden’s refusal to drop out, prominent liberal commentators and elected Democrats are growing concerned about the incumbent’s 2024 viability, primarily due to his old age and declining mental acuity.
New polling suggests as much, with about one-third of Democratic voters saying in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll that they want Biden to end his re-election bid. Such a move would open up the Democratic nomination for a younger candidate.
As vice president, Harris is next in line and appears to be one of the top alternative candidates. Harris is polling one point behind former president Donald Trump in the Reuters/Ipsos survey, while former first lady Michelle Obama is leading the presumptive Republican nominee by 11 points.
Other potential Democratic candidates include California governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, but neither comes close to Harris’s near-even matchup with Trump. A new CNN poll corroborates this, showing Harris polling behind Trump by two points. Meanwhile, Newsom and Whitmer each trail Trump by five points outside of the margin of error.
Former representative Tim Ryan (D., Ohio) made the case for Harris to replace Biden in a Newsweek op-ed published Monday, arguing she is the “best path forward” for Democrats. Representative James Clyburn (D., S.C.), a longtime ally of Biden, on Tuesday reiterated his support for Harris if Biden were to bow out.
While some sitting Democrats prefer Harris to succeed Biden, others simply want the president to leave the race. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D., Texas) and Raúl Grijalva (D., Ariz.) publicly called for Biden to withdraw, becoming the first two Democratic members of Congress to do so thus far.
The day after the presidential debate, Harris defended Biden and declared at a Las Vegas rally that “we believe in our President Joe Biden” and “this race will not be decided by one night in June.”