Former Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at the National Urban League Conference in Nashville on Friday, declined to include former President Joe Biden in her list of America's most effective presidents. During a public discussion with National Urban League President Marc Morial, Harris hesitated before naming a selection of historical figures, conspicuously omitting the president under whom she served for four years.
"I know this is going to be controversial coming from me, in particular. We need to revisit the Electoral College. We need to revisit the point of expanding the court, to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts." — Kamala Harris, Former Vice President
The omission follows a period of reported strain between Harris and former President Biden, particularly in the aftermath of the Democratic Party's defeat in the 2024 presidential election. After Biden concluded his re-election campaign and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee, she ultimately lost both the Electoral College and the popular vote to President Donald Trump. This political landscape forms the backdrop for Harris's recent comments and her broader political positioning as a prominent figure within the Democratic Party.
When pressed by Morial to name effective presidents, Harris initially demurred, stating, "Oh Marc, don’t make me do that." She then began her list with former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, commending him for his actions during the Great Depression. Harris highlighted Roosevelt's expansion of the federal government's role and programs such as Social Security. "He did good," she remarked, adding, "Social Security… when I think about what he did in terms of investing in the people during dire times and talking about the role and responsibility of government." She also acknowledged Roosevelt's unsuccessful attempt to expand the Supreme Court, noting the significant political opposition he encountered. Harris articulated Roosevelt's belief in government's three core responsibilities: public health, public safety, and public education.
Following Roosevelt, Harris cited former President John F. Kennedy and former President Lyndon B. Johnson, crediting Kennedy with laying the groundwork for policies that Johnson subsequently advanced during his administration. She then praised former President Barack Obama, a mention that garnered applause from the audience. Harris lauded Obama for addressing long-standing issues within the nation's healthcare system, specifically referencing the Affordable Care Act, despite considerable political opposition. Her selections primarily focused on Democratic presidents known for expanding federal programs and addressing societal challenges through governmental intervention.
Conspicuously absent from Harris's curated list was former President Biden, with whom she shared the White House for four years as Vice President. This public omission aligns with criticisms Harris previously leveled against the Biden White House in her book, "107 Days." In the book, Harris contended that the administration failed to adequately defend her against Republican attacks concerning immigration, particularly during her role as "border czar." She wrote, "When Republicans mischaracterized my role as ‘border czar,’ no one in the White House comms team helped me to effectively push back and explain what I had really been tasked to do, nor to highlight any of the progress I had achieved." She further elaborated, "Instead, I shouldered the blame for the porous border, an issue that had proved intractable for Democratic and Republican administrations alike." These past remarks underscore a pattern of Harris distancing herself from certain aspects of the previous administration's performance, particularly regarding highly contentious policy areas.
During her appearance in Nashville, Harris also previewed policy positions that could form the core of a future presidential campaign. She suggested the nation should re-evaluate the Electoral College and revisit proposals to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices. "I know this is going to be controversial coming from me, in particular," Harris stated. "We need to revisit the Electoral College. We need to revisit the point of expanding the court, to 13 justices like we have 13 district courts." Additionally, Harris advocated for lawmakers to reconsider the issue of statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. While she did not explicitly declare her intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, her remarks clearly indicated that these issues would remain central to her political agenda and potential future aspirations. The focus on these significant structural reforms suggests an attempt to carve out a distinct political platform for herself.
Harris's public statements, particularly the exclusion of former President Biden from her list of effective leaders and her articulation of progressive policy reforms, are likely to be interpreted within the context of her future political ambitions. As a prominent figure within the Democratic Party, her views carry weight and could signal a strategic shift in the party's direction or an individual's attempt to differentiate themselves. Her choices of effective presidents—all Democrats—and her proposed policy changes reflect a progressive vision that emphasizes government intervention and structural re-evaluation, potentially setting the stage for future intra-party debates and a distinct campaign narrative as the next election cycle approaches.
