Why Do Some Consider Joe Biden’s Endorsement of Kamala Harris Controversial or Inappropriate?

Critics have viewed Joe Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election as controversial. Some feel so negative about the endorsement that they’ve even called it inappropriate. For onlookers, Biden’s support for Harris might seem innocuous; after all, she did spend four years as vice president. However, given the unprecedented nature of the 2024 election, there are some legitimate concerns about the endorsement.

Why is Joe Biden’s endorsement of Kamala Harris for president controversial?

Shortly after Joe Biden issued the statement announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 elections, he publicly endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee:

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

There are a few reasons why Biden’s endorsement of Harris is seen as controversial:

Harris performed terribly in the 2020 election

Kamala Harris ran for president in the 2020 election season and dropped out on December 3, 2019. She rarely polled above single-digit numbers, and despite raising over $10 million, her funding fizzled out. She suspended her campaign well before the primaries.

Given how poorly her 2020 run for president was, some critics see her 2024 bid as “cheating” since any potential rival will have no time to fundraise or campaign ahead of the Democratic primaries. Some have argued that it’s unfair that she essentially gets to bypass the primary process and gain the nomination despite having very little public support in her previous attempt.

Some feel like Biden and Harris performed a switcheroo

Some of those who campaigned for Biden and donated to his reelection fund feel like his withdrawal and preference for Harris are shady. Plenty of people are fine with her as a vice presidential candidate, but not a presidential one. It’s also not clear what the delegates should do in this situation. Are those who pledged for Biden supposed to switch to Harris, or are they free to vote for another candidate (if any end up running)?