Kamala Harris Contemplates Her Silence on Biden's Re-election

Fri Dec 05 2025 04:19:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent interview, former Vice President Kamala Harris wrestled with her regrets about not urging Joe Biden against running for re-election, expressing concerns over the demands of the presidential race and Biden's ability to endure them.

Kamala Harris reflects on her decision not to discuss Joe Biden's re-election with him. In a BBC interview, she expressed regrets over remaining silent, citing concerns about Biden's capacity to handle the strenuous campaign demands. Harris noted the delicate balance of addressing his candidacy while considering her own political interests.

Former US Vice-President Kamala Harris has expressed concern that she didn't ask Joe Biden to pull out of the race for the White House. In an interview with the BBC for Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she stated, I do reflect on whether I should have had a conversation with him, urging him not to run for re-election.

After months of speculation about his health and mental acuity, President Biden ended his re-election bid in July 2024 after a disastrous performance in a debate against Donald Trump a few weeks earlier. Harris, who stepped in as the Democratic nominee but lost to Trump, has revealed in her book about her three-month campaign that she did not discuss her concerns with President Biden, nor did the then 81-year-old raise the issue with her.

In her book, 107 Days, the former vice-president wrote that Biden's decision to run again should not have been solely left to an individual's ego, an individual's ambition and expressed that she perhaps should have brought it up with him. In the BBC interview, Harris revealed that she still ponders whether she should have acted differently.

Her primary concern was not about Biden's capability to be president, but rather whether he could endure a demanding election campaign to stay in the White House. She noted a significant difference between running for office and performing the duties of being president, especially when competing against Trump.

Harris stated, I had a concern about his [Biden's] ability, with the level of endurance, energy, that it requires, especially running against the now current president. She found it challenging to raise these issues due to the risk of appearing self-serving if she had confronted Biden about his health.

The question of whether more individuals in Biden's circle should have challenged him on the wisdom of running again has become a significant topic of discussion. Allegations surfaced in the book Original Sin, suggesting that those close to Biden concealed his physical decline, which his aides contest, asserting that while his physical condition has changed with age, there is no impactful evidence of mental incapacity.

In his first post-presidency interview, Biden mentioned that it wouldn't have mattered if he had abandoned his campaign sooner.

Now in the UK promoting her new book, Harris stated it remains possible for her to run for the presidency again, affirming, I'm not done with public service, while also ruling out a gubernatorial bid in California.