The relationship between President Joe Biden’s administration and Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has been strained, with sources revealing that senior staffers under Biden have been labeled as “in their feelings” for not fully supporting Harris after he was pushed out of the race. Tensions began when Biden held an impromptu press conference just as Harris was about to hold an event in Michigan, ensuring less live coverage for her. This followed an instance where Biden praised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) shortly after Harris had criticized him.
An inside source told Axios that Biden had not been briefed on Harris’s comments before he made the positive remarks about DeSantis. In addition to these public fumbles, a close ally of Harris revealed that senior Biden aides are not fully supportive of the new presidential ticket after feeling slighted. Another person from Harris’s campaign expressed concern about the White House lacking someone who is thinking primarily about how actions affect the campaign.
Despite these tensions, several people from Biden’s team have switched over to Harris’s team, but some feel they are being labeled as disloyal for doing so or even considering it. Within Harris’s team itself, there are reportedly tensions between those who were loyal to her from the beginning and new arrivals from Biden’s camp. The White House has denied that there is a strain among senior staffers.
Axios noted that both Harris’s vice-presidential office and her campaign declined to respond to their reporting.