The Democratic National Committee has been holding focus groups on Vice President Kamala Harris to understand why voters don’t like her, according to a new CNN report.
Some voters in the focus groups said they didn’t like Harris, citing her laughter in particular as criticism. Others wondered whether Biden likes her.
Polls leave Harris’ approval rating somewhere in the mid-30s, an all-time low for the modern vice presidency as she struggled with bad headlines during her first three years in office.
US Vice President Kamala Harris waves as he attends a lecture in Las Vegas
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the Muniz Air National Guard base in San Juan, Puerto Rico,
But some Democratic voters said Harris was better than Biden at talking about abortion, guns, student loans and Israel’s war in Gaza.
Biden aides continue to express frustration with Harris as she tries to break out on key issues during the presidential campaign.
The White House “furred” against Harris and her team, the report notes, after she tried to emphasize her position on “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza to the media, even though her position was no different than that from Biden.
The report also notes that Biden aides were “annoyed” by the idea that they would have to lean more on Harris on some issues, and were unhappy with reports that Harris was holding private meetings with top Democrats to discuss the presidential campaign.
However, Harris has found new energy by focusing on abortion rights, which Democrats say is a key advantage as she struggles to build her political comeback.
The vice president is trying to sell her image as a prosecutor, which she used for her own failed presidential campaign. She tells CNN she finds the prospect of prosecuting Trump over abortion rights “liberating.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage at a campaign event
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) praised Harris for her work on abortion rights
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez praised Harris’ advocacy for abortion rights, calling it a strength of the campaign.
“There is a certain level of authority that comes with having a uterus and being a woman,” the New York Democrat said in the article.
Democrats are unwilling or unable to remove Harris from the presidential ticket and are trying to rehabilitate her image ahead of the 2024 election.
Harris’ aides believe the solution to fix Harris is “exposure” and “bringing her out more,” the report said.
Harris herself told CNN she was ready to take on former President Donald Trump’s choice for his running mate.
“I’m ready,” she said. “For whoever has it, fill in the blank to do it.”