First Lady Jill Biden Against Picking Kamala Harris as Joe's Running Mate After Debate Attack, Book Reveals

An upcoming book by two New York Times reporters reveals that first lady Jill Biden voiced disappointment that Kamala Harris was the top option for vice president.

The vice-presidential nomination process for Joe Biden's 2020 campaign is described in an extract supplied to Fox News from Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns' new book, 'This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future.'

Book: Jill Biden Opposes Kamala Harris as VP

Meanwhile, several members of Joe Biden's closest circle backed Harris for the ticket. According to the book, Ron Klain, now the White House chief of staff, was in charge of assessing vice presidential candidates and persuaded Joe Biden early on that Kamala Harris was the best candidate for the role because she had run for president herself.

The book also reveals Joe Biden's doubts about choosing Kamala Harris as his running mate. Joe Biden regarded her behavior "as the type of thing that should be beyond bounds," according to the book, citing Kamala Harris' "previous personal involvement with Willie Brown, the former San Francisco mayor who had assigned Harris to a pair of small governmental jobs."

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as well as activists and members of Congress from throughout the country, were also considered potential Biden running mates, according to the book. Stacey Abrams, who, according to the book, "could not pass the test" and was considered by Biden's advisers as a lost cause after losing the Georgia governor contest in 2018, was another contender who fought hard for the post.

At the first Democratic debate in June 2019, Harris chastised President Joe Biden for opposing federally mandated school busing, citing her personal experiences with busing and desegregation while growing up in Oakland.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are noted in the book as other potential running makes his campaign considered, as well as other lawmakers and activists, such as Stacey Abrams.

Abrams, the book says, "did not pass the test" for VP candidate after the campaign lost confidence in her ability to rally voters after losing the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. Biden's team also had concerns about her lack of experience as an elected official. Harris was believed to be Biden's safest best for winning the White House, despite her attacks on Biden, as per The NY Post.

Kamala Harris Faces Record-Low Approval Ratings

Kamala Harris has faced declining approval ratings, unfavorable headlines, and a steady departure of key workers since assuming office as Joe Biden's vice president last year, raising doubts about the work atmosphere in her office.

After a succession of allegations concerning internal disagreements, Kamala Harris' chief of staff, Tina Flournoy, became the 12th and most senior member of her team to resign this week. Her deputy chief of staff, speechwriter, chief spokeswoman, security advisor, and other members of her staff are among those who have left.

It all comes at a time when the White House is facing increasing scrutiny ahead of the 2024 election, following reports that Joe Biden told Barack Obama that he intended to run again at the age of 81. Beltway insiders have speculated that Joe Biden is considering switching running partners in 2024, but he has refuted the reports, according to Daily Mail.

According to the book, Kamala Harris' office made a fuss over a Vogue cover depicting the vice president in sneakers before being instructed to back down by President Joe Biden's office, which stated reservations over the image were "first world problems."

Some in Kamala Harris' office grumbled about Biden's "all-white inner circle," and she sent out her chief of staff to chastise Joe Biden's aides for not standing up when she entered the room, as they do for the president.

According to the book, they were upset that Kamala Harris was assigned to work on immigration with Northern Triangle nations. The vice president personally yelled at Joe Biden for dubbing her a "border czar," arguing that she was focused on the "basic causes" of immigration.