Silent No Longer: Harris Charts Her Own Course While Staying Loyal to Biden

 

Silent No Longer: Harris Charts Her Own Course While Staying Loyal to Biden

WASHINGTON —After a meeting with Israel’s prime minister this week, Vice President Kamala Harris declared she "will not be silent.” Though she referred to Palestinian suffering in the Gaza conflict, her statement resonated as a broader assertion of independence.

 For nearly four years, Harris has played the quiet deputy, supporting President Joe Biden from the sidelines. Now thrust into the spotlight as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, silence and acquiescence are no longer options. Over the next 100 days, she faces the challenge of finding her own voice without overtly breaking with Biden—a delicate political balancing act.

 Every statement Harris makes will be scrutinized for consistency with Biden’s position. While she needs to show loyalty to the president, she also aims to reveal her own identity to the public. Fortunately, those who have worked with both leaders note that Harris and Biden do not diverge significantly on most issues. Despite the common friction between presidents and vice presidents, Biden and Harris have had few notable conflicts. Thus, for Harris, suppressing contrary instincts may be less challenging than for other vice presidents.

 However, this balancing act is being improvised. With Biden running until recently, neither he nor Harris have had much time to coordinate their messages. Notably, Biden left it to Harris on Thursday to be the administration’s public voice during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s White House visit, taking a silent role.

 Biden, deeply invested in preventing former President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, supports Harris’ success. Given his insistence on running again despite age concerns, many might blame him if Trump wins. "Harris will have more room to maneuver in this tricky terrain,” said Richard Moe, former chief of staff to Vice President Walter Mondale. "It depends on the issue and Biden’s stance, but it’s apparent that Biden is prepared to give her latitude.”

 Joel K. Goldstein, a vice presidency specialist at St. Louis University School of Law, outlined three challenges for an incumbent vice president running for president: they inherit the administration’s baggage, must establish their own identity, and must pivot from subordinate to leader while someone else is still president. "Harris has done remarkably well in presenting herself as an effective new leader of the Democratic Party,” Goldstein said, noting her loyalty to Biden and her independent, vigorous leadership style.

 Yet numerous challenges lie ahead. In Harris’ lifetime, only three sitting vice presidents faced similar challenges—Hubert Humphrey in 1968, George H.W. Bush in 1988, and Al Gore in 2000—each navigating precarious political landscapes.

 The most charged situation was Humphrey’s race to succeed President Lyndon B. Johnson, who, like Biden, dropped out. Humphrey, burdened with Johnson’s Vietnam War, waited until late in the campaign to call for halting the bombing of North Vietnam. "Kamala Harris can afford to deviate from administration policy in a way that Humphrey never could,” said James Traub, author of "True Believer," a biography of Humphrey.

 Bush established his independence from President Ronald Reagan by opposing a deal with Panama’s dictator, Manuel Noriega. Gore distanced himself from President Bill Clinton due to the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Unlike Johnson, Reagan and Clinton supported their vice presidents’ efforts to separate, recognizing their importance for the country and their legacies.

 Goldstein suggests Biden may see Harris’ candidacy similarly. "President Biden will likely embrace Harris’ candidacy as furthering his values and objectives,” he said. Abortion rights and the Gaza conflict are two areas where Biden and Harris have been perceived differently. Both support a nationwide right to abortion, but Biden is less vocal about it, while Harris speaks passionately. On Gaza, she has adhered to Biden’s position but has more emphatically addressed humanitarian concerns.

 During Netanyahu’s visit, Harris condemned pro-Hamas demonstrators and affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense, but also forcefully addressed the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. "We cannot become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent,” she said.

 Harris’s office had no comment, but an aide emphasized that her remarks were consistent with Biden’s policy. Khaled Elgindy of the Middle East Institute noted Harris’ statement as a departure from Biden in tone, if not substance. "Harris centered Palestinian suffering and humanity,” he said.

 Harris delivered her statement after meeting Netanyahu, surprising Israeli officials who found her comments sharper than what was said privately. They worried her remarks might encourage Hamas to resist a ceasefire. Netanyahu echoed this concern while meeting with Trump, who called her comments "disrespectful.”

 Harris, whose husband is Jewish, is more concerned with Biden’s reaction than Trump’s. She aims to respect Biden without feeling constrained. "Harris should adhere to Biden’s policy as long as she is vice president,” Moe said. "But she can distinguish herself in emphasis and style, as she did on Gaza and the Palestinians.”