President Biden reportedly acted dismissive and cold towards Vice President Kamala Harris during an appearance at a Washington, D.C., soup kitchen on Tuesday in their first public appearance together since reports of growing tensions between the two.
“Biden made no attempt to demonstrate any fondness for his VP in front of the cameras after Harris allies slammed Biden to CNN last week for giving her tough jobs, such as handling the border crisis, and accused the West Wing of giving her less support than white members of the administration,” the New York Post reported. “When asked by a reporter what he was grateful for, Biden put an arm around DC Central Kitchen chef Dawain Arrington — who was standing to the president’s left with Harris at Biden’s right — and said, ‘The people I’m standing next to are what I’m thankful for. He got up. He was knocked down, but he got up.’”
In one instance, first lady Jill Biden directed Harris to a spot next to her husband, but President Biden didn’t appear to greet Harris when she took her place, according to the New York Post.
“Press pool microphones didn’t capture any words between Biden and Harris and the president seemed to ignore the veep and return immediately to his conversation with Arrington as he placed turkey on trays,” the New York Post reported.
The incident comes a week after a detailed report from CNN titled “Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris’ frustrating start as vice president.”
CNN’s report was based on interviews with numerous Harris aides who explained how Harris has grown bitter towards Biden as he appears to be distancing himself from the vice president who has become the most unpopular vice president in modern history.
Harris aides said that Harris did not receive the same support from Biden as others, citing the support Biden showed for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as he was criticized for abandoning his job during a supply chain crisis to secretly take paternity leave with his husband after the adoption of his twins in September.
Harris loyalists said to CNN that it was “yet another example of an unfair standard at play, wondering why she didn’t get similar cover any of the times she’s been attacked by the right.”
They even suggested Biden was racist for his support of Buttigieg, with one aide saying, “It’s hard to miss the specific energy that the White House brings to defend a White man, knowing that Kamala Harris has spent almost a year taking a lot of the hits that the West Wing didn’t want to take themselves.”
