The relationship between President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their spouses has reportedly become tense following Republican Donald Trump’s victory in November’s presidential election, according to sources.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that “the post-election rapport among the Bidens and Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, in private settings has at times been frosty, people familiar with their relationship said.”
According to the outlet, tension between first lady Jill Biden and Vice President Harris dates back to the 2020 Democratic primary debate, where Harris criticized Biden’s position on busing policies. “The first lady hasn’t been a fan of Harris’s since the 2020 election… say people who know both women,” the Journal noted.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates and Harris’ representative Kirsten Allen denied any issues between the president and vice president.
“Biden has stressed publicly and privately since the election that he has deep admiration for the campaign Harris ran,” Bates told the Journal.
However, the Journal and The Washington Post reported that individuals close to Biden say he believes he could have defeated Trump himself.
“Biden doesn’t see that as a critique of Harris’s campaign, these people say. He has told people he simply believes that, as the man who stopped Donald Trump in 2020, he could have done it again,” the Journal wrote.
Election Numbers Highlight a Shift
Biden secured 81.3 million votes in 2020 compared to Trump’s 74.2 million. In 2024, Harris received 75 million votes but was bested by Trump’s 77.3 million.
Some of Biden’s advisers argued he would have performed better than Harris, citing his 2020 victory, which outpaced Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and Harris’s 2024 results.
Election rules in 2020 were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with states like Michigan and Georgia sending mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters. This was not the case in 2024, adding to the challenges for Harris’s campaign.
Jill Biden and Kamala Harris Tension
Tensions between the Bidens and Harris appeared public during a Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery last month. Photos showed Jill Biden looking stern while Harris seemed uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, President Biden was in good spirits when welcoming President-elect Trump to the White House in November. The exchange, including Biden’s comment, “Welcome back,” fueled speculation about his feelings toward Harris’s defeat.
As both parties prepare for the upcoming transition, these reported personal and professional dynamics could shape discussions moving forward.
