While President Biden enjoys a week-long vacation in Delaware, Vice President Harris is stepping into the spotlight for the White House.
Kicking off her busy week, Harris sat down with ABC News for an exclusive interview. She will also meet with a foreign leader, travel to Florida and Wisconsin, and deliver remarks on the monthly jobs report on Friday, a role typically fulfilled by President Biden.
Harris’s packed schedule during Biden’s absence highlights her growing prominence as campaign season approaches. It coincides with her efforts to establish herself as a future leader of the Democratic party.
According to a former Harris aide, this increased visibility is highly beneficial for the vice president. It provides her with a platform to connect with the Democratic base, donors, and key swing state leaders as she solidifies her role for 2024 and beyond.
“If I were her, I’d want to play a visible role in the election, speaking out against Republicans who are saying and doing outrageous things,” the former aide stated.
In her nationally televised interview with ABC News, Harris discussed topics such as the situation of migrants being bussed to Washington, D.C., access to reproductive health care, and the history of slavery in the United States. She also took aim once again at Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
On Tuesday, Harris will travel to Orlando, Florida, where she will speak at the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Women’s Missionary Convention held in DeSantis’s backyard.
On Wednesday, she will hold a meeting with the prime minister of Mongolia. Although Harris frequently meets with foreign leaders individually, this meeting is notable as President Biden will be out of town and unable to attend.
Harris will visit Wisconsin on Thursday, a critical swing state. She plans to discuss the Biden administration’s efforts to make the internet more accessible and affordable and attend two fundraisers.
Finally, on Friday, Harris will deliver remarks on Jobs Day following the release of the July jobs report. These remarks hold significance for Harris as President Biden typically addresses the nation during this time to discuss economic progress and promote the White House’s agenda.
The Biden administration has consistently expressed support for Harris as a partner to the president, evident in their joint image and “Biden-Harris” logo featured on the president’s campaign website.
This positive sentiment suggests a resolution of tensions between the Biden and Harris teams, which were documented in a book published last year, with former communications director Kate Bedingfeld blaming Harris directly.
According to a Democratic strategist, Harris has proven her effectiveness in targeting key voting demographics such as Black voters and younger voters. Winning the support of these groups will be crucial for Biden to secure a second term in 2024.
In recent weeks, Harris has embraced the traditional vice presidential role of serving as an attack dog against the opposing party. She has delivered speeches in Iowa, Chicago, and Massachusetts, criticizing “extremist” Republicans on issues like abortion bans.
Last week, she made an unplanned visit to Florida to denounce the state’s new education guidelines, particularly the language surrounding slaves’ development of skills. These remarks were seen as a direct criticism of DeSantis, who is currently the second-favorite GOP nominee for president, potentially setting up a Biden-Harris vs. DeSantis showdown in November 2024.
“It almost seems ridiculous to have to state what I just said, that enslaved people do not benefit from slavery. There are so-called leaders, extremists, who are trying to provoke an unnecessary debate in our nation with the intention, I believe, to divide us as Americans. Stop it. Stop,” Harris emphasized during the ABC interview. Similar remarks were shared on Twitter by a Democratic National Committee spokesperson.
While the White House and Biden campaign are willing to elevate Harris as a primary messenger, Republicans vying for the party’s 2024 nomination are also keen to do the same.
Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina who is focusing her candidacy on the need for generational change, has repeatedly suggested that the GOP is running against Harris in 2024 rather than the 80-year-old Biden.
Former Vice President Pence has made the case to Republicans that Harris would have no right to challenge the 2024 election results if the GOP wins, using this argument to defend his own decision not to overturn the 2020 results.
In a Twitter exchange between DeSantis aides and Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, who expressed discomfort with the language on slaves developing skills, an image of Harris was tweeted, implying that the conservative congressman was echoing the vice president’s talking points.
DeSantis himself has mispronounced the vice president’s name on multiple occasions while accusing her of spreading misinformation about Florida’s policies.
During a recent campaign stop in Iowa, DeSantis stated, “Ultimately, if you look at the next election, she’s going to be the VP. You know, it’s possible she could end up being president of the United States. And I think voters need to take a hard look at that and see if that’s something that they would want,” as reported by NBC News.