Biden privately ‘anguishing’ over Harris not giving him enough credit in her speeches, claims report

WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden is apparently not too happy with Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign speeches of late. According to sources, Biden has been quietly grumbling that Harris isn’t giving him or his economic policies – "Bidenomics" as he likes to call it – enough credit during her appearances.

Biden, 81, stepped out of the presidential race back in July. Since then, it seems like his name and his accomplishments aren’t being referenced as much — and it’s bothering him.

According to an NBC News report, Biden has told his allies that he feels like the Democratic Party has “moved on” from him and he’s feeling a bit left behind as Election Day approaches.

Is Kamala Harris distancing herself from Joe Biden?

One particular moment really seemed to rub Joe Biden the wrong way. During the presidential debate on September 10 where Kamala Harris faced off against former president Donald Trump, she did mention Biden – but not in the way the president would have liked.

Trump accused Harris of being aligned with Biden’s economic policies, to which she responded: "Clearly, I am not Joe Biden."

She added, "And I am certainly not Donald Trump. What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country."

Biden was reportedly upset that instead of supporting his policies, Harris was distancing herself from him. According to insiders, Biden feels that Harris should be talking up his economic successes and making sure voters understand the "positive trajectory" the economy has taken during his presidency. But instead, it seems like she’s trying to step out of his shadow.

According to a source familiar with Biden’s thoughts, his feelings about the situation are “very complex.” On one hand, he’s always been loyal to Harris and she’s been loyal to him in return. But ever since he withdrew from the race and endorsed her, he’s been struggling with the idea that his imprint on the national stage might be fading.

The president has reportedly been “anguishing” over this feeling of being left behind. Some of those closest to him have noted that Biden sometimes feels like his legacy depends on Harris defeating Trump in November.

He’s well aware that, after all, candidates often need to separate themselves from their predecessors to create their own identity. Still, that doesn’t make it any easier for him to accept that his name isn't getting the recognition he thinks it deserves.

Kamala Harris campaign hints shift in messaging

It’s not that Kamala Harris has completely stopped mentioning Joe Biden. In the early weeks after she announced her candidacy in July, she often brought up Biden at her campaign rallies. She would regularly say she brought “greetings” from the president. But lately, those mentions have become less frequent.

In fact, Harris didn’t mention Biden’s name once at a recent campaign event in Pittsburgh where the former gave a 40-minute speech about the economy. Instead, she’s been shifting her language to focus more on “we” and “our administration.”

For example, she said, “Over the past 3½ years, we have taken major steps forward to recover from the public health and economic crisis we inherited,” without directly referencing Biden.

While Harris did praise Biden at a White House event just last week and stood by his side at a Labor Day rally, it’s clear that her campaign has moved on. According to a Harris campaign official, the shift in messaging is intentional.

“We have to tell people who [Harris] is and what she would do,” they told NBC News. “There wasn’t a real interest in hearing about [Biden’s] accomplishments when he was running,” the official added. “That’s still the case.” 

Despite his frustrations, Biden seems to understand the politicking at play. “He understands completely the general lack of mentioning ‘Bidenomics’ and ‘Joe Biden'. Politically he gets that,” a source close to Biden said.

White House responds to claims Joe Biden is upset

However, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told NBC News that the rumors about Joe Biden being upset are “the polar opposite of the truth".

“These uninformed claims are the polar opposite of the truth," Bates said.

“President Biden welcomes the strong response the American people are having to Vice President Harris’ leadership and to policies that move us into the future, away from dangerous agendas from the past like MAGAnomics and abortion bans,” he added.