It is often said that communication is key.
But with less than a month to go until Election Day, a trend appears to be forming that suggests there might be some issues between President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in this regard.
On October 7, NBC News reported that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not take a call from Harris about storm recovery after Hurricane Helene blew through parts of the Sunshine State. DeSantis denied that he had been screening Harris’ calls, but the disagreement led to a back-and-forth between the two, with the Republican governor telling Fox News that the vice president was “trying to politicize the storm,” after Harris reportedly called him “utterly irresponsible” and “selfish.”
On October 9, however, during a televised address on Hurricane Milton, Biden praised DeSantis as “gracious,” when asked about the dispute between the Republican governor and his vice president, whom he endorsed for president after dropping out of the race in July.
(Left) Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Right) President Joe Biden speaks at the 115th NAACP National Convention at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After contradicting each other on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and multiple campaign clashes, a pattern is emerging which suggests the White House and the Harris campaign may have a communication problem.
Montinique Monroe/Mario Tama/Getty Images
“All I can tell you is I’ve talked to Gov. DeSantis. He’s been very gracious,” Biden said. “He’s thanked me for all we’ve done. He knows what we’re doing. And I think that’s important.”
Citing a source familiar with the situation, NBC later reported that the president had not been briefed on the spat between DeSantis and Harris.
Separately, Biden surprised reporters when he joined a White House press briefing for the first time in his presidency on October 4 – the same day Harris was holding a campaign rally in Michigan.
Michigan is one of the critical swing states both Harris and former President Donald Trump will be courting votes from in order to secure victory come November, along with Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
With Harris just 0.8 points ahead in the Great Lakes State at the time this article was written, her rally in the state was a key opportunity to put her case before Michigan voters.
This was followed by an October 8 appearance by Harris on The View – another chance for Harris to attract voters to her presidential campaign.
When asked by the show’s co-hosts whether she would have done anything differently than Biden, she backed the president’s record firmly, saying “not a thing comes to mind.”
However, Biden again held a high-profile conference the same day, potentially overshadowing the Democratic presidential nominee’s appearance as she sought to share her message with a wide audience.
“The White House is lacking someone in the room thinking first and foremost about how things would affect the campaign,” a source involved with Harris’ campaign told Axios.
But White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told the outlet: “President Biden endorsed Vice President Harris immediately after leaving the race, rejecting other approaches that would divide the party, and has attested to her leadership abilities and continually made clear his support for her.
“While ensuring that all critical White House functions are fully staffed, we have made significant changes to guarantee the vice president’s team has all of the support and resources that they need,” Bates added.
Newsweek has contacted the White House and the Harris campaign for comment via email.
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