Amid media reports questioning her political acumen and base competence, Democrats in the Senate are offering tepid support for Vice President Kamala Harris.
President Joe Biden has assigned Harris — who dropped out of the 2020 presidential primaries before the Iowa caucuses — a policy portfolio that includes election law and immigration. However, critics charge that the vice president does not prepare for meetings and is out of her depth politically. Others worry that she would lose the 2024 presidential election in the event that Biden could not seek a second term in office. (RELATED: REPORT: Democrats Hit Panic Button Over Kamala’s Bad Press, Call In Damage Control Experts)
In interviews with the Daily Caller, four Democratic or Independent senators declined to say whether they would endorse Harris remaining on the executive ticket as vice president in 2024, four others apparently deferred their decision to Biden and nine offered a direct endorsement.
Independent Maine Sen. Angus King, who has caucused with the Democrats since entering Congress in 2013, declined to answer, telling the Daily Caller to “ask that question to a Democrat.”
“You’re asking the wrong person, I’m not a Democrat … I’m an Independent, so you should ask that question to a Democrat,” King said.
Two senators facing difficult reelection campaigns, West Virginia’s Joe Manchin and Ohio’s Sherrod Brown, declined to endorse Harris for a vice presidential spot.
“I don’t focus on things like that. I’m focused on East Palestine and there was just a Norfolk Southern death, and I’m much more interested in that than questions like that,” Brown said.
“I’m not talking about that, I’m sorry,” Manchin added. He previously declined to endorse Biden, telling NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that he would be “for the right person when they’re running.” (RELATED: ‘I Don’t Know What The Future Lies’: Manchin Won’t Rule Out Challenging Biden)
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also declined to answer, asking, “Is that what we’re worried about?”
Jon Tester of Montana, the third Democratic senator running in a state Donald Trump won by double digits in 2020, diverged from his colleagues. He told the Daily Caller that he “of course” supports Harris remaining on the ticket.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren told the Caller that she would “of course” endorse Harris, who is “terrific,” for vice president. Warren previously deferred her Harris endorsement decision to Biden during a Boston radio interview, but later backtracked and offered a full endorsement. Harris has since refused to call back her former 2020 rival, CNN reported.
Several other senators — including Ben Cardin of Maryland, Jon Ossoff of Georgia and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut — appeared to defer their endorsement decision to Biden.
“That’s going to be a decision made by the president — presidential candidates. I’m not going to get — I have a great deal of confidence in Kamala Harris, so I think she’s done a great job,” Cardin said.
Blumenthal said, “I will support Kamala Harris if she’s on the ticket with Joe Biden.”
“I think that’s what we’re going to get, so yes,” Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said.
US President Joe Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris gesture while arriving for a reception celebrating Black History Month, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2023. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Other senators offered a direct endorsement of the vice president.
“Yes,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy declared.
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock said, “Joe Biden, I expect him to run and I intend to support him, and the vice president.”
“Sure,” New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said.
California Sen. Tammy Duckworth said, “of course.”
“Yes, of course. Of course. It’s the winning team … Qualification in 2024, someone who has already beaten Donald Trump, because Donald Trump himself is the most likely nominee in the Republican Party … Joe Biden has already beaten him, and Kamala Harris,” Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey told the Caller.
“Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I expect him to. Yeah,” Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine offered.
“She is the vice president … she’s going to be the vice president,” Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said.
The White House referred the Caller to comments Biden made confirming that Harris would be his running mate if he sought re-election in 2024.
“She’s going to be my running mate,” Biden said in January of 2022.
Harris herself has said that she intends “to run with him as vice president” and dismissed criticisms of her and Biden as “political chatter.”
Harris’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.