Biden Addresses Criticism of Harris’s 2020 Presidential Run on "The View"

Former President Joe Biden recently appeared on "The View" and addressed criticisms surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign following his hypothetical withdrawal from the race. During the interview, Biden seemed to misstate the timeline Harris would have had to campaign, suggesting she would have had six months instead of the less than four months remaining before the November election.

The exchange began when co-host Sunny Hostin brought up the argument that Biden leaving the race and endorsing Harris "over a hundred days before the election hampered her campaign." Hostin directly asked Biden for his response to these critics.

Biden’s reply focused on two primary points: the length of time remaining in his hypothetical term and Harris’s integral role in his administration’s success. "I say, number one, that there were still six full months," Biden stated, seemingly confusing the length of a theoretical presidential campaign with the remainder of his term that would end on January 20th. He continued, "She was in every aspect, every decision I made. Every decision we made. And I don’t think, I hope I didn’t sound the wrong way. I don’t think anybody thought we’d be successful as we were. I don’t think anybody thought we’d pass the Recovery Act. I don’t think anyone thought we’d have – we’d deal with the [CHIPS and Science Act]. I don’t think anybody thinks we’d have all we got done in a close race. Think about it."

Biden went on to claim that his administration had achieved significant legislative success, asserting, "We got more major legislation passed to fundamentally change the direction of the country than any president has in a long, long time." He highlighted the shift away from trickle-down economics, referencing his father’s experience and emphasizing the focus on building the economy "from the middle out and the bottom up."

Furthermore, Biden contrasted his administration’s achievements with what he described as a difficult start for his predecessor. "Biden also said Trump had just gone through the worst 100 days any president has ever had."

Later in the interview, Biden again referenced the "six months" following his hypothetical exit from the race, claiming his administration had done a "pretty good job." He touted the strength of the economy he inherited, stating, "The strongest economy in the world we left. That’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact." He further asserted that his administration "created more jobs in one term than any president has in American history."

Biden concluded by reiterating Harris’s essential contribution to his administration’s accomplishments: "And so my point is that we had a very successful effort to change the direction of the country and we did, and she [Harris] was every single part of that."

The interview segment sparked discussion online, with some commentators focusing on Biden’s apparent misstatement regarding the timeframe available to Harris to campaign. Others focused on his defense of her role in his administration’s success, interpreting his remarks as a show of support in the face of persistent questions about her political future and effectiveness as Vice President.

While Biden did not directly address claims that sexism and racism were factors in Harris not winning the race, his larger point seemed to be that his administration had made significant progress during his term and that Harris was actively involved in it. He seemed keen on emphasizing the accomplishments of his term, while seemingly undercutting any claim that Harris would not have been able to keep up the momentum had she taken over the race.

Ultimately, Biden’s appearance on "The View" served as an opportunity to address lingering questions about the 2020 election cycle and reaffirm his confidence in Vice President Harris. Whether his response fully satisfied critics remains to be seen, but his strong defense of his administration’s record and Harris’s role within it was clear.