Vice President Kamala Harris said she would be prepared to take over the presidency from President Joe Biden amid concern from a majority of Americans that he is not capable of governing effectively.
“Joe Biden is going to be fine, so that is not going to come to fruition,” Harris said in an Associated Press interview published Wednesday. “But let us also understand that every vice president — every vice president — understands that when they take the oath they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have to take over the job of being president.”
“I’m no different,” Harris added.
The Biden administration has defended the 80-year-old president throughout his term, telling Americans to look at his track record. Polls, however, show that Biden’s age remains a concern for the majority of voters, with 77 percent of Americans believing Biden is too old to govern effectively and 61 percent saying he likely would not make it through another term in office. (RELATED: Biden Is ‘Too Old,’ Harris Is Not Electable, Former Democrat Senator Says)
Harris defended Biden during her AP interview, arguing that the president “delivers” when he’s in the Oval Office.
“I see him every day. A substantial amount of time we spend together is in the Oval Office, where I see how his ability to understand issues and weave through complex issues in a way that no one else can to make smart and important decisions on behalf of the American people have played out,” she told AP. “And so I will say to you that I think the American people ultimately want to know that their president delivers. And Joe Biden delivers.”
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 25: U.S. President Joe Biden, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive for an event where Biden announced his intent to nominate Brown to serve as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Rose Garden of the White House May 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Biden defended his age in his remarks Monday, framing it as a positive.
“Someone said, ‘You know, that Biden, he’s getting old,'” Biden said Monday during his Labor Day remarks in Philadelphia. “Well guess what, guess what … the only thing that comes with age is a little bit of wisdom. I’ve been doing this longer than anybody, and guess what, I’m going to continue to do it, with your help.”