Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has revealed that she still questions whether she should have urged President Joe Biden not to seek re-election in 2024. Speaking in an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Harris admitted she often reflects on her decision to stay silent during a critical moment for the Democratic Party.
“I do reflect on whether I should have had a conversation with him, urging him not to run for re-election,” Harris said.
Her remarks come as she promotes her new memoir, 107 Days, which chronicles her brief but intense three-month campaign for the presidency after Biden withdrew from the race in July 2024.
Biden’s Withdrawal and Harris’s Reflections
President Biden, then 81, ended his re-election bid following a widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump, sparking renewed scrutiny over his age and fitness for office. Harris went on to become the Democratic nominee but ultimately lost to Trump in the November election.
In her book, Harris writes that Biden’s decision to run again was one that “shouldn’t have been left to an individual’s ego or ambition.” She admits she never discussed her concerns about his stamina and endurance with him, nor did he initiate such a conversation.
“Perhaps I should have raised it with him,” she reflected, noting that her hesitation stemmed from uncertainty over whether speaking up would be perceived as self-serving.
“Part of the issue was whether it would have been an effective and productive conversation, given what might appear to be my self-interest,” Harris said.
Grace or Recklessness?
Harris told the BBC that she still wonders whether her restraint was “grace or recklessness.” Her main concern, she clarified, was not Biden’s ability to perform as president, but whether he could withstand the physical and mental toll of another demanding campaign—especially against a formidable opponent like Trump.
“There is a difference between running for office and serving in office,” she explained. “Running against the now current president requires a level of endurance and energy that I was concerned about.”
A Broader Debate Around Biden’s Circle
The question of whether Biden’s advisers should have intervened earlier has since become a major point of discussion in Washington. A recent book, Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, claimed that close aides shielded the public from signs of the president’s physical decline.
Biden’s team has strongly denied these allegations, acknowledging the normal effects of aging but rejecting any claims of mental incapacity.
In his own BBC interview earlier this year, Biden said that stepping down earlier “would not have made a difference,” maintaining that his decision came at the right time.
Harris Looks Ahead
Currently in the UK promoting her memoir, Harris hinted that her political journey may not be over. When asked if she might run for the White House again, she replied that it was “possible,” though she ruled out a gubernatorial bid in her home state of California.
“I’m not done with public service,” the former prosecutor said, underscoring her continued commitment to public life despite the challenges of the past year.
