President Joe Biden “doubted” Vice President Kamala Harris’s ability to defeat former President Donald Trump before he decided to step aside on Sunday, according to three Biden aides familiar with recent discussions about his plans, as reported by Axios.
Biden’s concerns highlight the contrast between the Democratic Party’s lack of unity and the Republican Party’s unity heading into November.
About 30 minutes after announcing he would step aside, the president endorsed Harris on his personal X account—a move Republicans are calling odd.
Following his endorsement, many party leaders, including members of the “Squad,” are rallying around Harris. Bill and Hillary Clinton, along with numerous Democratic state and federal lawmakers, have also thrown their support behind her.
Among those who have not yet voiced support for Harris are former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democrat Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former President Barack Obama.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead,” Obama said in a statement. “But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges.”
According to Politico Playbook, the four leaders—Pelosi, Jeffries, Schumer, and Obama—have refrained from endorsing Harris because they “do not want to be seen as back-room party bosses engineering a Harris coronation.”
Democrats are cautious about being seen as undermining democracy by removing Biden, who secured about 14 million Democrat primary votes, from the ticket. Meanwhile, Harris did not win any primary delegates in 2016.
Harris, the leading candidate for the Democratic nomination in four weeks, has a relatively low approval rating of 38.6 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight. Biden’s approval rating is slightly lower at 38.5 percent. Both figures are significantly below the 50 percent threshold typically needed for an incumbent to secure reelection.
Other Democratic contenders for the nomination include Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, and Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky.
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