Former Vice President Kamala Harris has called Joe Biden’s decision to seek a second term reckless, sharing her perspective in excerpts from her forthcoming memoir 107 Days.
Harris, who became the Democratic nominee in 2024 after Biden stepped aside but ultimately lost to Donald Trump, reflected on the toll age had taken on the then 81 year old president. She noted that Biden showed signs of fatigue and occasional missteps that revealed his physical and cognitive limits.
Recalling her time in the White House, Harris was critical of the support from Biden’s staff. She suggested that some members of his inner circle actively undermined her rather than offering the guidance expected of a vice president.
“‘It is Joe and Jill’s decision,’ we repeated that like a mantra, almost hypnotically,” Harris wrote. “In retrospect, was it grace or recklessness? I believe it was recklessness. The stakes were far too high for it to be left solely to one individual’s ambition.”
Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race came as a shock in July following a debate with Trump that raised questions about his age and mental sharpness. Harris was careful to note that there was no conspiracy to conceal any limitations, but she acknowledged that age was a factor.
“On his worst day, he was still more knowledgeable, capable, and compassionate than Donald Trump on his best,” she said. “But at 81, Joe got tired. That is when his age showed in physical and verbal moments of vulnerability.”
Harris also spoke openly about her struggles within the administration. She said that when media stories misrepresented her actions, the president’s inner circle often seemed indifferent, as if she needed to be kept in check. She also admitted to shouldering responsibility for Biden’s border policy, which became a major point of attack for Trump during the election.
Her presidential campaign, which lasted just over three months, the period referenced in the title of her memoir, ended in a decisive loss to Trump, marking one of the briefest campaigns in modern American political history.
