Former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi dodged several questions about Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday’s episode of “Anderson Cooper 360.”
Host Anderson Cooper asked Pelosi if Harris is “the best running mate for this president,” to which Pelosi refused to answer in the affirmative. (RELATED: REPORT: Kamala Harris Set To Extensively Campaign For Biden’s 2024 Run Despite Democratic Criticisms)
“He thinks so, and that’s what matters,” Pelosi said.
“Do you think so?” Cooper asked again.
“And by the way, she’s very politically astute,” Pelosi dodged again. “I don’t think people give her enough credit.”
Pelosi added that Harris tries to be “consistent” with President Joe Biden’s values.
“People don’t understand she’s politically astute. Why would she be vice president if she were not? But when she was running for attorney general in California, she had six percent in the polls, six percent in the polls. And she politically astutely made her case about why she would be good, did her politics, and became attorney general. So, people shouldn’t underestimate what Kamala Harris brings to the table,” Pelosi said.
Cooper tried pressing her once more on whether Harris is the most optimal partner for Biden. Pelosi evaded the question again, instead commenting on the general job duties of the vice president.
“But do you think she is the best running mate?” Cooper asked.
“She’s the vice president of the United States. People say to me, ‘well why isn’t she doing this or that?’ I said it’s because she’s the vice president. That’s the job description — you don’t do that much. You know, you’re a source of strength, inspiration, intellectual resource, and the rest. And you, I think she’s represented our country very well at home and abroad,” Pelosi responded.
Harris has struggled with low approval ratings while serving as vice president. Her fellow Democrats have been reluctant to publicly praise or defend her performance when questioned by the media. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has banked on the fear of a potential Harris presidency as central to her pitch for the White House.