Kamala Harris Raises Concerns Over Biden's Re-election Decision

Tue Oct 28 2025 14:57:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a recent interview, former Vice-President Kamala Harris reflects on whether she should have urged Joe Biden not to run for re-election, revealing her apprehensions about his capacity for another campaign.

Kamala Harris expressed regret in a BBC interview about not having urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Reflecting on their relationship and her new book, she questioned whether a conversation on his re-election was necessary, considering his health and the demands of campaigning against Donald Trump. Amidst ongoing debates about Biden's fitness for office, Harris admits her hesitation was tied to concerns about appearing self-serving.

Former US Vice-President Kamala Harris has expressed concern that she didn't ask Joe Biden to pull out of the race for the White House.

In an interview with the BBC for Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said: I do reflect on whether I should have had a conversation with him, urging him not to run for re-election. After months of speculation about his health and mental acuity, President Biden ended his re-election bid in July 2024 following a less-than-stellar debate performance against Donald Trump.

Harris, who stepped in as the Democratic nominee but ultimately lost to Trump, revealed in her book about her three-month campaign that she did not discuss her concerns regarding Biden's abilities with him, nor did the then 81-year-old raise the issue.

In the book, 107 Days, Harris wrote that Biden's decision to run again was a choice that shouldn't have been left to an individual's ego, an individual's ambition. She noted that perhaps she should have initiated the conversation with him.

During the interview, she admitted that she still ponders whether she should have taken a different approach. I do reflect on whether I should have had a conversation with him, urging him not to run, she stated, questioning if it was grace or recklessness that held her back.

Her main concern, she clarified, was not about Biden's capacity to fulfill presidential duties but rather about whether he could endure the rigors of an election campaign. Running against Trump, she emphasized, poses significant demands.

Harris explained the challenges she faced in addressing her concerns, fearing that doing so might be perceived as self-serving. She voiced, Part of the issue there was that it would – would it have actually been an effective and productive conversation, given what would otherwise appear to be my self-interest? This conversation resonates amid rising discussions about whether more people in Biden's entourage should have advised him against his re-election bid.

In her recent tour, Harris mentioned that she might consider running for president again but has ruled out a governor position in California, stating, I'm not done with public service.