(LifeSiteNews) – Former Vice President Kamala Harris surprised left-wing comedian Jon Stewart in a recent interview when she claimed to believe former President Joe Biden was “fully competent” to serve another four years in office despite replacing him on the Democrat ticket when her party reached the opposite conclusion.
The New York Post reported that Harris made the statement during a Thursday appearance on Stewart’s weekly podcast while discussing her late takeover as the Democrat nominee last year and her regrets about not differentiating herself more because “I did not fully understand how big of an issue it was for some people, for me to distinguish myself from him.”
“I am not talking about competence at all,” she stressed. “No, I believe he was fully competent to serve.”
Stewart asked her if she really believed that, and said it surprised him. Harris reiterated that she did, and argued that “being a candidate for president of the United States is about being in a marathon at a sprinter’s pace, having tomatoes thrown at you every step you take. And to be the seated president, the sitting president while doing that – it’s a lot.”
The Comedy Central host remained unconvinced. “I think it’s a hard case to make for people that he didn’t have the stamina to run, but he had the stamina to govern because I think most people view the presidency as a marathon run at a sprint with tomatoes being thrown at you in terms of governance,” he said.
At 78 when he took office, Biden was the oldest president in history. He had been famously gaffe-prone throughout his decades in politics, but during the 2020 campaign, serious questions about Biden’s fitness for public office at his advanced age solidified due to his increasing frequency of odd and incoherent statements as well as moments in which he appeared lost and confused. There followed a marked increase in speculation from friends and foes alike as to whether his mind was deteriorating, so much so that during the 2020 campaign, Biden pledged only to serve one term “if anything changed in my health” to render him incapable of the job.
He attempted to follow through with his reelection bid in 2024, campaigning for months despite growing concerns about his age and mental health even among Democrats. Most of the party and its allies were content to brush off such criticisms as fake news, conspiracy theories, and even “selectively edited video” as late as June 2024, but the narrative turned on its head by the end of that month with Biden’s disastrous performance against Republican opponent Donald Trump in a debate hosted by CNN.
That debate, throughout which Biden appeared strikingly tired and vacant with difficulty speaking clearly, sent Democrats into a panic, with many suddenly speaking openly about their doubts about his ability to win the election. Yet for weeks the White House resisted calls for the president to bow out. On July 21, Biden finally relented, announcing via letter his decision to abandon his reelection bid and endorse Harris to be nominated in his place. He did not, however, acquiesce to calls by Republicans and others to resign from the presidency entirely, and Harris went on to lose to Trump.
Currently on tour to promote a book about her presidential run, Harris said last week that she is “not done” with politics and is open to potentially seeking the White House again in 2028.
