Three ‘Biden-Harris administration’ problems Kamala has as a replacement for Joe

If President Joe Biden decides to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris is viewed as the front-runner to replace him, but her candidacy likely comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Harris, if she is ultimately the candidate atop the ticket, will be able to run on the successes of the Biden administration without the concerns about her mental fitness for office, though she will also be tied with the downsides of the administration. She would likely effectively be running on a continuation of Biden’s tenure.

Biden’s biggest cheerleader

The vice president, 59, has spent the last several months defending the president’s mental and physical fitness, which is now under question following last month’s presidential debate, in which Biden’s performance raised new questions about his fitness for office due to several moments where he appeared lost and incoherent at times.

Questions had emerged about Biden’s mental acuity long before the debate despite his performance escalating those concerns, though she has consistently come to the president’s defense.

After special counsel Robert Hur made references to Biden’s mental acuity in his report about the president’s handling of classified documents, Harris said, “The way that the president’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and clearly politically motivated!”

She will presumably face questions on her continued support of the president if he ultimately decides he’s not, in fact, capable of carrying out the duties of the presidency.

Border breakdown

Harris campaigning on her time as vice president is set to be a double-edged sword. Over the last three and a half years, she has taken the lead on the border and abortion access, though to varying degrees of success.

Back in 2021, the White House put her in charge of leading the diplomatic outreach to tackle the “root causes” of migration in the Northern Triangle countries, though illegal immigration has continued to increase over the course of the administration.

Since January 2021, the U.S. has allowed 5.3 million migrants who illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as migrants who applied from abroad to be admitted through “parole” programs, to remain in the country, according to an interim staff report prepared by the House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. Additionally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection have encountered nearly 10 million people trying to enter the country since February 2021.

Economic roadblock

Republicans will have a harder time tying Harris to the inflation woes plaguing the Biden-Harris administration than to the chaos at the southern border. But the duo’s consistent messaging that Biden’s victories are tied to the pair of them means Harris will come with the same economic baggage the president has.

Biden is deep underwater on the question of how he has handled the economy. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows the president with an average of 58.2% job disapproval of his handling of the economy.

Inflation has ticked down in recent months after the historic 9.1% mark in June 2022, but it remains uncomfortably high for the Fed to cut interest rates, though it may do so later this year.

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The White House has put Harris at the tip of the spear of its messaging about an improving economy. In April, she embarked on a “nationwide economic opportunity tour,” beginning in the swing state of Georgia to talk about “investing in communities, building wealth, and ensuring every American has the freedom to thrive.”

A CNN poll from earlier this week found that Harris is currently closer to former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical election. In a matchup between Trump and Biden, the former leads 49%-43%, which is where they sat during the April version of this poll, while Harris is only trailing Trump 47% to 45%, a result that is within the margin of error.