WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris’s team is discussing ways to clean up her responses to questions about how she will differentiate herself from President Joe Biden this week, according to four people familiar with the discussions.
Harris’ responses, including one in which he said he couldn’t think of anything different from Biden, quickly became fodder for his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, who played a video clip of the exchange at campaign rallies. the majority of voters still have a negative view of the current president.
Discussions within Harris’ team have included how he can put more distance between himself and Biden, which people familiar with the discussions say will have implications for the final weeks of the 2024 race.
The poll consistently found Biden trailing Harris and voters looking for a new direction. But Harris refrains from criticizing Biden, publicly criticizing his presidency. “His level of loyalty is incredible,” a source said.
He proposed some new policy ideas. He proposed creating a “Home Health Care” program that would allow older people to receive more residential care instead of relying on nursing homes.
Unlike the 81-year-old Biden and the 78-year-old Trump, he is releasing his medical records, which are intended to show that he is young and alive.
There are several additional areas where Harris could do so, including the care economy and overall leadership style, but no final strategy has been decided, people familiar with the discussions said.
Harris will try to distance himself somewhat gracefully from Biden, likely focusing on the White House before doing so, three people familiar with the discussions said.
Since announcing his candidacy in July, Harris has tried to walk a fine line between praising Biden’s leadership and record and setting his agenda by telling voters how he would represent his campaign slogan “a new way forward.”
Asked on “The View” Tuesday if he would have done anything differently from Biden over the past four years, Harris initially said, “Nothing that comes to mind” and claimed to be part of “the majority.” from decisions that have an impact.”
During rallies in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Trump and his campaign quickly picked up the line.
“So his response that he wouldn’t do anything different is disqualifying. Kamala Harris is completely incompetent. He cannot be trusted,” Trump said.
In an interview with ABC later, Harris raised one area where he has vowed to differ from the president if elected: appointing a Republican to the Cabinet, adding that he “doesn’t feel burdened by letting pride get in the way of a good idea.”
On Friday, he took it a step further, promising to establish a bipartisan council of policy advisers if he wins. The group will then recommend “practical” ideas to “help improve the lives of Americans” in areas such as small business, affordable housing, mental health and veterans care, according to a Harris campaign aide.
Hours after her interview on “The View,” Harris faced a similar question from Stephen Colbert, who asked what major changes would be evident in a potential Harris administration and what could remain the same.
“Well, I mean, I’m obviously not Joe Biden,” he said. I think it’s important to say, “But I think there’s 28 days left, and I’m not Donald Trump,” without giving a specific example.
Harris gave a similar response during a debate with Trump last month, which Biden specifically mentioned. This was reported by NBC News.
Biden was particularly struck by the line, according to three people familiar with the comments.
But at the same time, the president recently told top aides that Harris would have “more confrontations” with him in the coming weeks and that he had “no great concern” about that, a fourth person familiar with his comments said. he said.
“He has to do whatever it takes to win,” the source said.