Former Vice President Kamala Harris ran a “dark-arts operation” intended to undermine her competition for the running mate slot on former President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, according to a new book.
The operation, which involved disseminating unfavorable information about potential Biden vice presidential picks, specifically targeted Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, former US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the book “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” revealed.
Harris engaged in a “dark-arts operation” to undercut other potential running mates for former President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, according to the book. Getty Images
But any steps Harris took to undermine those women didn’t damage their relationships enough to stop them from backing her in the 2024 election. AP
“In 2020, when she beat out a crowded field to join Biden’s ticket, Harris advisers ran a dark-arts operation to undermine the competition, circulating negative information on her rivals,” political journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes wrote in its pages, according to Fox News.
“‘We stabbed Karen Bass a little bit. We stabbed Susan Rice a little bit. We stabbed Stacey Abrams a little bit. We stabbed Gretchen Whitmer,’” a former Harris adviser told the journalists.
The book, published by William Morrow and Company on April 1, did not detail the specifics of the reported campaign to undercut the ex-vice president’s potential opponents.
The book did not delve into the specifics Harris took to undercut her opponents as they all vied for the vice presidential nomination. Getty Images
It’s unclear if Harris’s targets were aware of the alleged behind-the-scenes campaign to thwart their candidacy.
Bass, Whitmer and Abrams all publicly endorsed Harris when she replaced Biden on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, with the latter two appearing at campaign events for the former vice president.
Meanwhile, Rice defended Harris from criticism leveled by Rep. Ted Burchett (R-Tenn.), who described the former vice president as a “DEI hire” last July.
Bass endorsed Harris, and both Whitmer and Abrams appeared at Harris campaign events in 2024. AP
Rice dismissed Burchett’s characterization of Harris as “incredibly insulting,” in an interview with CNN, according to Fox News.
Harris did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The book also claims the former VP was “completely shocked” by her crushing loss to President Trump this past November, having “bought the hype” that her campaign was in good shape in the run-up to Election Day. The authors further revealed that former President Barack Obama was reluctant to endorse Harris after Biden dropped out of the race because he felt she couldn’t beat Trump.
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