Following President Joe Biden’s troubling debate performance against former President Donald Trump on Thursday night, speculation has arisen about how his vice president, Kamala Harris, would fare against Trump if she were to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee.
During the debate in Atlanta, Biden, who at 81 is the oldest president in U.S. history, struggled at times.
He sounded hoarse and trailed off while answering a question, raising concerns about his age and cognitive abilities. This led to calls from some Democrats for Biden to step aside as the party’s nominee.
Vice President Kamala Harris, at 59, is a prominent potential replacement. She is younger than both Biden and Trump and would be the easiest transition for the Biden-Harris campaign.
Additionally, if Biden were to resign, Harris would automatically become president.
However, polls indicate that Harris might face greater challenges against Trump than Biden.
According to RealClearPolling averages, Trump leads Harris by 6.6 percentage points, with 49.3 percent support to Harris’ 42.7 percent. In contrast, Trump leads Biden by just 1.5 points, with 46.6 percent to Biden’s 45.1 percent.
A recent poll by Politico and Morning Consult found that only a third of voters believe Harris would win the election if she became the Democratic nominee, and only 60 percent of Democrats think she would prevail.
Harris has faced criticism since taking office for not having a more defined role in the Biden administration.
Her approval rating is under 40 percent, and she has been criticized for her handling of the border crisis and other issues. Despite this, she performs slightly better than Biden, whose approval rating hovers around 38 percent.
In the aftermath of the debate, Harris defended Biden’s performance, emphasizing his strong finish and clear contrast with Trump on key issues. She remains a steadfast supporter of Biden’s candidacy despite the ongoing speculation and challenges.
Overall, the political landscape remains uncertain, with both Biden and Harris facing significant obstacles in their potential bids against Trump in the upcoming election.
