A former aide to US Vice President Kamala Harris has stirred a debate by proposing that President Joe Biden should step down, allowing Harris to assume the presidency until Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025. Jamal Simmons, who served as Harris’s communications director from 2022 to 2023, argued that such a move would disrupt Trump’s momentum following his unexpected re-election.
“Joe Biden has been a remarkable president, fulfilling many of his promises. However, there’s one final promise he could still keep: serving as a transitional figure,” Simmons remarked during a segment on CNN.
Proposal to avoid Jan 6 certification
Simmons suggested that Biden could relinquish the presidency within the next 30 days, making Kamala Harris the first woman President of the United States. This would, he noted, spare her the responsibility of overseeing the certification of Trump’s victory in Congress on January 6 — a rare situation in which a vice president who contested the presidency would have to formalise their opponent’s win.
Though Trump has been declared the winner, the US Constitution allows for a four-month transition period before the new president assumes office on January 20. Simmons believes that Harris assuming the presidency temporarily would be a bold move, potentially altering public perceptions of the Democratic Party’s strategy.
Democratic Party divided?
More From This Section
This suggestion comes amid internal criticism of Biden from Democratic figures, who opine his leadership may have contributed to Harris’s loss. Biden’s decision to remain on the Democratic ticket, despite low approval ratings, hindered Harris’s campaign, according to media reports. Some even argue that Biden should have stepped aside earlier, giving Harris more time to strengthen her position in crucial swing states.
There are also claims that Biden’s approach could have cost the Democrats the presidency, with some allies of Harris’s campaign blaming him as the ‘sole reason for her defeat’.