Vice President Kamala Harris is said to be spending more time at her residence in Los Angeles in an effort to avoid the growing bipartisan disapproval and criticism she has been facing. This is particularly due to her failure to address significant issues, including the escalating migration crisis at the US-Mexico border, which was expected to be one of her top priorities.
The Los Angeles Times recently published a comprehensive article shedding light on Harris’ frequent trips back to California, which are seen as attempts to shield herself from the mounting disapproval and criticism. The article also highlighted concerns about Harris’ perceived lack of influence and authority in negotiating agreements on Capitol Hill, considering her previous role as a senator from California before assuming the vice presidency in 2020. These challenges have sparked discussions about the possibility of President Joe Biden replacing her on his 2024 ticket, as mentioned in the report.
The profile begins: “In a city full of celebrities and A-listers, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff’s presence is hard to escape. For Harris, the temptation to abandon Washington, where she faces Republican derision and criticism within her own party, for downtime at home has been tough to satisfy in recent years.”
“While President Biden has a near-weekly habit of returning home to neighboring Delaware, a taxpayer-funded cross-country journey to Los Angeles is more difficult to justify unless it is for official business. Harris’ excursions back to Los Angeles are frequently disguised as an event to celebrate a local small business or a stop to raise awareness about one of her legislative priorities, such as black maternal healthcare or reproductive rights,” the LA Times added.
Earlier this month, Harris acknowledged the political challenges faced by the president, in light of various polls indicating that former President Donald Trump was ahead of Biden in both hypothetical presidential matchups and battleground states.
“We’re going to have to earn our re-elect, there’s no doubt about it,” Harris said when asked about several recent 2024 polls showing Biden trailing Trump in several battleground states.
“It is absolutely right in a democracy with free and fair elections that the candidates, the people who want to continue in leadership, have to make their case and have to make it effectively. That means communicating in such a way that the message is received about our accomplishments and what we care about. I have a great sense of duty and responsibility to do as much as I can, to be where the people are, and to not only speak with them but listen to them and let them know what we’ve accomplished,” Harris added.
CNN recently reported that Harris has faced challenges in communicating effectively and crafting messages. This revelation came after the news broke that Harris planned to engage with TikTok influencers and provide coverage for them during her campaign trail.
In a recent interview on the show “60 Minutes,” Harris confidently assured the re-election of President Biden when asked about the close competition between him and Trump. CBS’ Bill Whitaker further probed the vice president on the reasons behind their neck-and-neck polling numbers with Trump, despite the legal issues faced by the former president.
“The Biden-Harris ticket is running neck and neck with Donald Trump. Why are you not 30 points ahead?” Whitaker asked.
Harris affirmed her stance as not being a political commentator, emphasizing that the decision will become evident as Americans exercise their right to vote on Election Day in the upcoming year.
“Bill, we’re going to win. Let me just tell you that. We’re going to win. I’m aware and I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But we will win,” she said.
“You say that with such conviction,” Whitaker responded.
“I have no doubt, but I also have no doubt it’s going to be a lot of work. And everyone’s going to have to participate. This is a democracy,” she continued. “I look at it more as let’s keep getting out there. And, as with any election, we got to make our case to the American people. That’s part of our responsibility. And that’s this process. And that’s what it is. And that’s a fair process.”