Kamala Harris calls Joe Biden a 'fighter' as she reacts to his cancer diagnosis amid rumored rift

WASHINGTON, DC: Former vice president Kamala Harris reacted to the news that former president Joe Biden was diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer, in an attempt to mend fences with the ex-POTUS.

Harris' statement looked less emotional than President Donald Trump's, and even GOP firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, despite her close ties with Biden while serving as his second-in-command, according to the Daily Mail.

Kamala Harris knows Joe Biden will fight cancer with the same resilience that has defined his life and leadership

The former vice president took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a picture of her with Joe Biden during their time in office.

She captioned the post, "Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time."

"Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery," she added.

Revealing the diagnosis in a statement on Sunday, May 18, Biden's office said that the form of cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive and might be effectively managed by various treatments. 

Interestingly, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, shared coordinated messages of support on X, with Doug moments later sharing a picture of him and Biden.

He captioned the post, "Sending love and strength to my friend, Joe Biden."

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' rumored rift

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' relationship apparently took a hit when fellow Democrats pressured the 82-year-old to step down as the presidential nominee after a disastrous debate against Donald Trump in June 2024.

Biden eventually dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, and hours later, endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee. 

However, after her loss to Trump in November last year, there were rumors that Biden began giving Harris the cold shoulder, Daily Mail reported.

The former president genuinely believed Harris could beat Trump and struggled to understand how she blew the race so spectacularly, some officials told the Daily Mail at the time.

However, other insiders mentioned that he was quietly seething that he was forced to bow out at all, and he believed that he would have won the race.

Meanwhile, some in the Democratic Party blamed the ex-POTUS and argued that he should have dropped out of the race much earlier than he did, and that more time would have been better for Harris' campaign.