Ex-Obama adviser David Axelrod cautioned supporters of Kamala Harris against casting her as the default replacement to President Biden on the 2024 ticket, warning that she will need to prove to voters that she is capable of earning the nomination.
“I think the focus of many leaders in the party is going to be singular and it‘s going to be how and who can defeat Donald Trump and that may well be Kamala Harris,” Axelrod said Sunday. “I think some of her supporters have done her a disservice because they say, well, she‘s there, she‘s historic, you can‘t bypass her and so on…
“The real case they should be making is why she‘d be the strongest candidate. And there are some really strong arguments to suggest she would be, but she might be stronger if she comes through a process that is open, and I noticed in her own statement, she said she wanted to compete and earn the nomination, and it would be good for her if that was the conclusion that people drew,” he added.
Axelrod made the comment on “CNN Newsroom” after he was asked why former President Obama notably failed to endorse Harris for the Democratic nomination in his statement reacting to news of Biden’s suspended campaign.
Biden endorsed Harris moments after he announced his decision to drop out of the race. She confirmed that she would run for the Democratic nomination in a statement, writing that “I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
Harris has received endorsements from former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several Democratic lawmakers. However, many Democrats have issued statements on Biden’s decision without making mention of Harris or endorsing her.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama wrote in his statement.
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 11:43:13
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