Kamala Harris reveals Joe Biden didn't want debate against Trump: 'Something was a little off'

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Vice President Kamala Harris, on the 'Diary of a CEO' podcast with Steven Bartlett as the host, revealed that Joe Biden was reluctant to debate Donald Trump before the 2024 election, which many credit with leading to his withdrawal from the race.

Harris indicated that she sensed "something was a little off" during a call with Biden from his debate camp.

Kamala Harris recalls Joe Biden calling her from Debate Camp

While speaking on Steven Bartlett's podcast, former Vice President Kamala Harris offered a reflection on former President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election campaign, particularly focusing on the June debate against Donald Trump that led to Biden dropping out of the race.

Harris said, "Biden called me from debate camp. The president did, Biden did. And I could tell something was a little off. And I was concerned about… I don't think he wanted to debate, is my point. He didn't want that debate."

Kamala Harris attributed Joe Biden's lack of competitive urge 

Harris did not attribute Biden's debate performance to mental capacity but rather a fundamental lack of desire to compete.

She explained this perspective using a universal analogy, stating, "He didn't want that debate. And you know, it's like any competition you go in, whether it's you're bidding for something, if it's sports, you gotta want it, right? If you don't wanna be in the competition, it will absolutely have an impact on your performance. I'm pretty sure he did not want to debate."

When Bartlett asked how she knew of his reluctance, Harris conceded, "Well, we had conversations about it. I think he got talked into it."

The former Vice President also added that she was watching the debate that night with a small, trusted team in Los Angeles so she could "be candid" in her reaction, and she expected the usual errors.

"There will be something to clean up, and I expected that," she said. "And then, you know, we saw what we all saw."

Kamala Harris' memoir '107 Days' reads internal tensions

It is worth noting that this podcast appearance is part of Kamala Harris' media tour promoting her new book, '107 Days'. The book reportedly offers a much more candid account of the internal dynamics of the Biden administration. 

Harris' memoir, portions of which have been reported, also suggests that she was "angry and disappointed" with Biden for his poor debate performance, specifically noting that he "did not understand how bad his performance was."