White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not say on Monday whether Biden would back a presidential run by Vice President Kamala Harris and also deflected on a question about whether Harris was “unhappy.”
When asked if Harris would get President Joe Biden’s “automatic endorsement if she decides to run herself in either 2024 or 2028,” Psaki responded, “I don’t have any predictions of whether she will run, when she will run; I will leave that to her.”
“But I can tell you that there’s been a lot of reports out there, and they don’t reflect his view or our experience with the Vice President,” Psaki claimed.
When asked if they’ve heard that Harris or her team are “unhappy,” Psaki deflected, saying, “Here’s what I know, Peter: I know that the President relies on the Vice President for her advice, for her counsel.”
“She’s somebody who is not only taking on issues that are challenging. She’s not looking for a cushy role here — no Vice President is, no President is — and that she’s somebody that is a valuable member of the team,” Psaki continued. “And he expects to also — you can all expect to be out there, out in the country — on the infrastructure bill, and he’s looking forward to having her out there too.”
WATCH:
.@pdoocy questions Jen Psaki on reports that VP Kamala Harris is "unhappy." pic.twitter.com/KAP59mxO2f
— MRCTV (@mrctv) November 15, 2021
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED VIA THE WHITE HOUSE:
REPORTER: Okay. There are a few reports from over the weekend that the Vice President is unhappy. Can she expect the President’s automatic endorsement if she decides to run herself in either 2024 or 2028?
PSAKI: Well, first of all, the President selected the Vice President because — to serve as his running mate because he felt she was exactly the person he wanted to have by his side to govern the country. She’s a key partner. She’s a bold leader. And she is somebody who has taken on incredibly important assignments, whether it is addressing the root causes of migration at the Northern Triangle or taking on a core cause of democracy in voting rights.
So that is who the President selected. I don’t have any predictions of whether she will run, when she will run; I will leave that to her. But I can tell you that there’s been a lot of reports out there, and they don’t reflect his view or our experience with the Vice President.
REPORTER: And so you guys have not heard that the Vice President or key members of her staff are unhappy?
PSAKI: Here’s what I know, Peter: I know that the President relies on the Vice President for her advice, for her counsel. She’s somebody who is not only taking on issues that are challenging. She’s not looking for a cushy role here — no Vice President is, no President is — and that she’s somebody that is a valuable member of the team.
And he expects to also — you can all expect to be out there, out in the country — on the infrastructure bill, and he’s looking forward to having her out there too.