Allies of Vice President Kamala Harris are reportedly up in arms after what they are seeing as a “disrespectful” move by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
After word that the Democrat governor was fixing to debate Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, it is being reported that President Joe Biden’s advisers as well as allies of the VP are “particularly annoyed” by the thought.
According to NBC News:
Some Biden advisers have complained privately that the planned debate, which Fox News host Sean Hannity would moderate, could make voters think Newsom is running a shadow 2024 campaign at a time when most Democrats say they’d prefer a different candidate at the top of the ticket. They also argue that it could elevate DeSantis, whom White House advisers initially perceived as a greater threat to Biden’s re-election hopes than the GOP front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
“Harris allies take particular umbrage at what they see as Newsom’s attempt to position himself for the 2028 Democratic presidential primarily at her expense,” the outlet added.
“It’s disrespectful,” an outside adviser to the veep told NBC News. “Joe Biden is running with Kamala Harris. That’s the Democratic ticket.”
It appears Newsom has become a top surrogate for the Biden-Harris ticket since the president announced his reelection bid, and there has been no further talk of a debate with DeSantis who is running for the GOP nomination himself.
“DeSantis exchanged barbs with Harris this summer as she harshly criticized a state education mandate to teach Florida schoolchildren about the ‘benefits’ of slavery,” NBC News noted. “She declined DeSantis’ entreaty last month to engage with him directly on the issue, and then he agreed to debate Newsom. Though the challenge had been issued much earlier, Newsom’s decision to move forward came in the shadow of Harris’ arm’s-length back-and-forth with DeSantis.”
A Biden adviser told the media outlet that Newsom’s moves were “appropriate” for a surrogate.
“What he’s doing here is appropriate for a surrogate. It would not be appropriate for the president or the vice president,” the adviser told NBC News.
“We’re in close touch with him,” the adviser added. “This is the kind of thing we want surrogates to do.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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