Jamal Simmons, a former advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris, recently suggested that President Joe Biden should step down to allow Harris to briefly take over the presidency. In a discussion on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Simmons praised Biden’s presidency but argued that he could fulfill his final promise by resigning.
“Joe Biden’s been a phenomenal president, he’s lived up to so many of the promises he’s made. There’s one promise left that he could fulfill, being a transitional figure,” Simmons remarked during a panel with anchor Dana Bash, as highlighted by Mediaite.
CNN panel stunned as Simmons suggests Harris take presidency within 30 days
Simmons elaborated further, proposing that Biden could resign within the next 30 days and make Harris the president, an idea that stunned those present.
The concept gained traction after Biden withdrew from the 2024 race in late July, following increasing doubts about his age and mental sharpness, particularly after a difficult debate performance against President-elect Trump. Harris was then positioned as the candidate for the top spot, though she eventually lost the election to Trump.
Simmons argued that having Harris assume the presidency would dominate the news cycle at a time when Democrats, in his view, needed more transparency and drama to engage the public. “It would make sure that it would dominate the news, at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things the public will wanna see,” he said.
The repercussion of Harris’s defeat in the 2024 election, along with the loss of Senate control, has deeply shaken Democrats. Many party members now see Trump as a serious threat to democracy, prompting internal divisions.
The party’s divisions have led to clashes between its more progressive and centrist factions, with progressives claiming the party did not move far enough left to energize its base, while centrists argue that it veered too far, alienating moderate voters.
“We are out of touch with the crisis of meaning/purpose fueling MAGA,” Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) commented on social media. “We refuse to pick big fights. Our tent is too small.”
