Despite Biden's insistence to run again in 2024, Republicans are intensifying their attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, dismissing her as a political threat and pinning her with the unpopular Biden policies.
House Republicans are sharpening their attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris as speculation grows over her potential replacement of President Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024.
Despite Biden's recent assurances to the contrary, Republicans argue that Harris, like Biden, is tied to unpopular progressive policies that voters disapprove of. They dismiss her as a political threat, expressing confidence that former President Trump will emerge victorious.
House GOP Sharply Attacks Kamala Harris as Potential Biden Successor
"Kamala Harris is just as responsible for this administration's failures, but she's more incompetent," said Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., who served as the longtime chair of the New York Republican Party before coming to Congress.
"She will make no difference to the outcome. President Trump will be our 47th," Langworthy added.
House GOP Sharply Attacks Kamala Harris as Potential Biden Successor
A swing-seat Republican, who requested anonymity, expressed skepticism that Harris would perform better on the debate stage than Biden. "I would say she's the weakest part of the ticket right now, as bad as Biden is," the lawmaker said.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., emphasized that whether it's Biden or Harris at the helm of the Democratic ticket, they will have to answer for their "abysmal, tax-and-spend record." He pointed to the Republican advantages in swing states and the growing support from Hispanic voters.
House GOP Sharply Attacks Kamala Harris as Potential Biden Successor
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., a Trump ally from a deep red district, asserted that Biden and Harris "both own the same disastrous policies."
The GOP's attacks on Harris come amid growing conversations about her candidacy if Biden decides to withdraw from the race. Biden's weak performance in the recent presidential debate has left many wondering if he is the best candidate to defeat Trump.
House GOP Sharply Attacks Kamala Harris as Potential Biden Successor
Harris, for her part, has consistently stated her support for Biden, but she would inherit the Biden-Harris campaign's massive $240 million war chest if he were to drop out.
The House GOP campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), has also targeted Harris in their latest advertisement, labeling her Biden's "enabler-in-chief" and criticizing her role as the "border czar."
A DCCC spokesperson dismissed the NRCC's ad, stating that Republicans are "fooling themselves" if they think the American public will blame anyone besides Trump and his "feckless band of Republican extremists and phony moderates."
While a recent CNN/SSRS poll showed Harris performing slightly better than Biden in a head-to-head matchup against Trump, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., remains confident in the GOP's chances. "It doesn't matter which incompetent failure Democrats have on the ballot in November — voters are ready to abandon the sinking ship that is the Biden-Harris administration," Emmer said.
The Biden campaign and Harris' office have not yet commented on the Republican attacks.
