Vice President Kamala Harris has been a large political target since she took office in 2021, and now Democratic heavyweights Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former California Sen. Barbara Boxer appear to have thrown darts at the vice president from within a power circle of her own party.
Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt, actor Ron Livingston, and actress Gabrielle Carteris were on a Zoom call with Boxer when they voiced their doubts about Harris and thought she was a “political liability.”
If they don’t support the Biden-Harris ticket again in 2024, President Joe Biden could find it harder to see fundraiser nights like one that raised $750,000 for him back in 2020 during a charity event that featured Hollywood stars.
Warren has been backpedaling over comments she made in an interview on Boston public radio station WGBH in late January when it appeared to some she was suggesting Harris and President Biden are not on the same page after she was asked if the two should be running mates again for the upcoming 2024 election.
“I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” she responded. “I’ve known Kamala for a long time. I like Kamala. I knew her back when she was an attorney general, and I was still teaching, and we worked on the housing crisis together, so we go way back. But they need — they have to be a team, and my sense is they are — I don’t mean that by suggesting I think there are any problems. I think they are.”
“Pretty insulting” is how one person close to Harris described the feelings in the vice president’s office about the interview, CNN reports.
Warren has since clarified those comments and tried to issue an apology to Harris, but the vice president hasn’t answered her calls.
“I fully support the president’s and vice president’s reelection together and never intended to imply otherwise,” Warren told GBH. “They’re a terrific team with a strong record of delivering for working families.”
Warren and Harris were rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
She said that she tried to reach out to Harris but only spoke with chief of staff Lorraine Voles, who returned the call, according to CNN.
Barbs from political figures and entertainers are not anything new to Harris. In 2020, legendary Atlanta music producer Jermaine Dupri called out the vice president for her prosecution record as an attorney general in California.
In 2022, a new research report showed that Harris received over 4,200 hateful tweets on social media, and Twitter did nothing to stop it or punish those people.
According to the FiveThirtyEight polling site, Harris has a 49.5 percent disapproval rating amongst the American people. In April 2022, it reached as high as 58.1 percent disapproval rating.
Democrats believe their stand on abortion will be pivotal in the upcoming election following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Harris spoke out in January at a 50th-anniversary ceremony to mark the Roe v. Wade ruling, calling out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ implementation of anti-abortion rights. She called for federal abortion protection rights.
In February, Democratic fundraiser John Morgan told The New York Times that her weakness as vice president will have a negative impact on Biden’s reelection bid in 2024.
“I can’t think of one thing she’s done except stay out of the way and stand beside him at certain ceremonies,” he said.
Some comments from Twitter users suggested that Biden should look for another vice presidential candidate and even named some.
“Yeah, I actually think a new VP would energize the ticket. Maybe Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer or Pete,” someone wrote.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently described Harris as an “invaluable asset” and said she is going to be powerful in tough battleground states.
A few people came to her defense of Harris and slandered Warren. Some even suggested that Warren is trying to pull a victim card to help repair her January interview gaffe.
“The View” hosts gave Harris full support with their defense of her not returning Warren’s phone calls and the job she has done while in office.
“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with Democrats. Listen, here’s the bottom line, Joe Biden is going to be your nominee. Stop talking about how old he is and Kamala Harris is going to be your vice president. So stop fretting. Stop wringing your hands and get behind your ticket,” Ana Navarro said.
“Because on the other side, the alternative is Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. So you, tell me what you prefer. I love this. I love that they – they said in the story – I don’t know if it’s true, that madam vice president is not responding to the calls from Senator Warren. Good. If they’re going to be doing this, don’t show up to fundraise for them. Don’t show up to campaign for them. Don’t pick up their phone calls. Get with the program.”
Several Democratic leaders also argue that if the Harris criticism continues, it could hurt Biden’s campaign and the party’s future.
Jen O’Malley Dillon, White House deputy chief of staff, told CNN the White House is committed to Harris being a key player in Biden’s reelection campaign.
“There is nobody – just like there was nobody who was more prepared to make a decision about who his vice president should be – who understands how critical it is to have a strong partnership and a strong VP out there helping lead the ticket across this country,” O’Malley Dillon said.
