Teams close to Kamala Harris are said to be working behind the scenes to position her as the best replacement for Joe Biden, should the President stand down as the Democrat nominee.
Allies of the Vice President are said to be preparing to show she is qualified to lead the ticket in her own right.
Sources told Politico the uncoordinated effort involves prepping talking points which show Harris is the party’s best hope of defeating Donald Trump at the Presidential Election in November.
It comes as there is concern about the mental capabilities of the 81-year-old Biden as he is facing increased pressure to stand down as candidate ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August.
A team is reportedly preparing to place VP Harris as the best candidate should Biden drop out
Getty
While it is understood there is no plot to oust President Biden, a team of Harris’s former staffers, members of the Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights leaders are preparing an "army" to be ready to defend her candidacy if he does step aside.
One source, a former Biden aide, told Politico: "There is an effort quietly afoot to position an apparatus to turn on the lights.
"Two or three days ago, people were quiet. And now, as of yesterday especially, people were like, ‘We need to be ready’ They are young in their infancy, but they have grown stronger by the hour."
However, there are some doubts within the Democrats that Harris is capable of defeating Donald Trump at the election in November.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Vice President Kamala Harris is rumoured to be one of the candidates to replace Biden if he decided to step aside
Getty
New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned that many of those calling for President Biden to exit the race also want Vice President Harris removed from the ticket.
She said: "If you think that there is consensus among the people who want Joe Biden to leave … that they will support Vice President Harris, you would be mistaken."
The 34-year-old called on Democrat leaders to be "fully honest" with voters.
She added: "If they’re going to come out and say all their little things on background, off the record, but they’re not going to be fully honest, I’m going to be honest for them. I’m in these rooms. I see what they say in conversations.”
Democratic Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has called on Democrat leaders to be honest
Getty
The New York Times reports that a White House staffer speaking to a member of Congress "denigrated" Harris’s chances of defeating Trump compared to Biden, while also urging them to continue to support the Democrat leader.
Vice President Harris’s team are understood to have told the Biden administration that they should not belittle the Vice President while trying to shore up support for the President.
Two sources told The New York Times that President Biden has also privately said he believes he has a stronger chance of beating Trump compared to Harris, which is one of the factors keeping him in the race.
