In an unprecedented suggestion, a former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris proposed that President Joe Biden should step down before the end of his term to allow her to serve briefly as the 47th president of the United States before Donald Trump assumes office in January.
Jamal Simmons laid out the controversial strategy days after Harris lost the election to Trump, saying Biden had the opportunity to grant Harris and women a historic first, with the potential to symbolize a watershed moment of progress in American history, Simmons said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he regularly appears as a panelist.
“Joe Biden has been a phenomenal president. He’s lived up to so many of the promises that he’s made. There is one promise left that he can fulfill: Being a transitional figure,” Simmons said during the segment. “He could resign from the presidency in the next 30 days, making Kamala Harris the president of the United States. He could absolve her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat.”
Simmons was referring to the vice president’s role in overseeing the certification of Electoral College results and declaring the official outcome of the vote during a joint session of Congress, which occurs every four years on January 6. The vice president’s responsibility became a focal point during the certification process overseen by then-Vice President Mike Pence on Jan. 6, 2021, which led to the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Pence’s role in certifying the electoral results was largely ceremonial, with no constitutional power to alter or reject the votes, as seen when Pence resisted pressure to overturn the electoral count in Trump’s favor.
Joe Biden has been amazing but he should fulfill one last promise – to be transitional. Biden should resign and make Kamala Harris the first woman president. It’d turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over Jan 6 make it easier for next woman to run. #trailblazepodcast
— Jamal Simmons (@JamalSimmons) November 10, 2024
Meanwhile, a scenario like the one Simmons proposes—where a sitting president vacates the office for a brief period to allow the vice president to assume the presidency before handing it back to a newly-elected president—has never occurred in U.S. history.
There has been no indication that Harris is pursuing this outcome, nor any sign that the incumbent vice president is interested in or supportive of the notion. Additionally, her team has not yet issued any comment or response regarding the idea, according to Politico.
Simmons, who is co-creator and co-host of the podcast “TrailBlaze,” made the statement during a panel discussion about key expectations for the last two months of the Biden administration following Harris’ devastating loss to Trump in last week’s election.
Others on the panel included political strategist Scott Jennings, former Obama campaign staffer Ashley Allison, and conservative journalist Brad Todd.
Jennings ridiculed the unconventional nature of Simmons’ suggestion, comparing the idea to a storyline from the political show “House of Cards.”
However, Simmons noted the move would not only lift the “historical weight of being the first” off the shoulders of future female presidential candidates but would also throw a monkey wrench into some of President-elect Trump’s “45-47” merchandise, which nods to his two terms as both the 45th and 47th president.
“It would dominate the news at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things in the public we want to see. This is the moment for us to change the perspective of how Democrats operate,” Simmons continued, making the case for Biden to step down.
When asked about the Supreme Court, Simmons admitted uncertainty regarding Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s future, particularly with speculation surrounding her potential departure to allow Biden to appoint her successor. He did not offer a definitive answer on what might unfold during Biden’s final weeks in office.
“Well the Supreme Court might happen, I don’t know if it will,” Simmons said. “I think this is something that is in Joe Biden’s control. And if he did it, it would fulfill his last promise. It’ll give Kamala Harris the chance to be the 47th president of the United States of America.”
Following the panel, Simmons took his argument to social media, where it quickly went viral.
“Joe Biden has been amazing, but he should fulfill one last promise—to be transitional. Biden should resign and make Kamala Harris the first woman president. It’d turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over Jan 6 make it easier for next woman to run,” he wrote on X. Another added bluntly, “This is the dumbest think I’ve ever heard. The biggest political loss in modern history and you want to reward that? Are you out of your mind?”
Previously, Biden faced similar pressure from Democrats to step aside following his disastrous debate with Trump in June, which raised concerns about his fitness to serve a second term. Biden finally threw in the towel a month later and swiftly endorsed Harris, but by then, it was less than four months before the election, with little time to mount an effective campaign strategy.
After Trump’s decisive victory last week, some Democrats have criticized President Biden for not exiting the race sooner, arguing that it could have given Harris more opportunity to refine her policy positions and present a stronger challenge to Trump.
Simmons’ proposal immediately added an unexpected layer of uncertainty to the already contentious 2024 election, with many speculating whether Biden will surprise the country and jump the shark during his final days.
If the scenario Simmons envisioned were to play out, it would present a striking irony where Harris, having already lost the election to Trump, would briefly serve as president, only to hand the office back to Trump on Inauguration Day.
During her concession speech at Howard University last week, Harris emphasized the time-honored tradition of the peaceful transfer of power, acknowledging her electoral defeat while urging her supporters to accept the results and commit to working with Trump’s administration.
“Now, I know folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now,” Harris said. “I get it, but we must accept the results of this election. Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory. I also told him that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”
Harris’ speech was widely praised and reflected a rare moment of political unity while reinforcing the importance of democracy, even in the face of an election loss.
Simmons did not address how elevating Harris would likely be controversial, particularly among Trump supporters, who might view a temporary power transfer, even for a brief period, as politically motivated and potentially undermining the legitimacy of the election.
There have only been a few instances in U.S. history where the president temporarily transferred power due to medical procedures, but never in a manner like Simmons’ has proposed.
In 1956, during surgery to treat a stroke, President Dwight D. Eisenhower temporarily handed over duties to Vice President Richard Nixon.
President Ronald Reagan temporarily transferred power to Vice President George H.W. Bush after being shot by a would-be assassin in 1981. Reagan underwent surgery and, under the 25th Amendment, delegated authority to Bush for a brief period until he regained consciousness. Early in his second term, Reagan briefly transferred power to Bush again as he underwent colon cancer surgery.
In 2002 and 2007, President George W. Bush also temporarily transferred power to Vice President Dick Cheney during medical procedures.
