Evidently, the staff of Vice President Kamala Harris harbored fear regarding the possibility of President Joe Biden not reaching the end of his term. They went so far as to devise a comprehensive succession scheme, indicating a lack of faith in his capacity to withstand the tenure.
This plan specified an array of potential judges throughout the nation, willing to swear Harris into the presidency, irrespective of her location at the moment, thereby pointing to the dismal future they envisioned for Biden.
The aforementioned plans find their origins in the newly published book, ‘Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House.’ This literature delves into the clandestine affairs within the four walls of the office, revealing how Kamala Harris’s team catered to the potential demise of Biden.
Jamal Simmons, the communications director for the Harris White House, took the lead in formulating the communications around this worrying prospect. The anxiety-ridden preparatory work appeared to be grounded in pessimism, almost as if the staff was waiting for Biden’s fall.
Simmons, in a move that is comparable to the dramatic plot of a political thriller, drew a vivid picture of Lyndon Johnson assuming presidency in the mournful wake of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. He even went to the extent of imagining a distraught Jackie Kennedy by Johnson’s side.
While this might seem like the actions of a proactive team preparing for all possibilities, it simultaneously reflected a certain disregard for the capacity of Biden. Simmons and his team were expecting pushback from Donald Trump zealots, expressing skepticism around the legitimacy of the Harris presidency, if it were to happen in such unfortunate circumstances.
The vice president’s team perceived a hasty swearing-in would lend Harris the ‘institutional stamp of approval.’ This underscores they weren’t confident about the public perception of the Harris presidency and were under the impression that such a spectacle would need an extra seal of credibility.
Simmons, cynically anticipating backlash, thought the most substantial affirmation in this situation would be an oath administered by a federal judge. But not just any federal judge. A judge appointed by a Republican excluding Trump. This indicates how they suspect the people’s trust would be shattered under these circumstances.
Painstakingly, the communications director put together a spreadsheet compiling the names of such judges nationwide. This spread covered a city-wise breakdown, marring the gloomy situation further with comprehensive planning for Biden’s potential demise.
In an ironic display of preparedness, Simmons had this intimidating list with him whenever accompanying Harris, demonstrating preparedness for an abrupt catastrophe.
Despite these intricate arrangements, Simmons refrained from revealing the existence of this ‘death-pool roster’ to Harris while parting from her team in January 2023. Simultaneously, he left a detailed chain of command for his colleagues to follow if Biden’s term was prematurely cut short.
Before leaving, Simmons handed this pessimistic spreadsheet to another staffer, ensuring the survival plan was in place even in his absence. This leaves us to question the level of confidence they really had in Biden’s ability to effectively lead the country throughout his term.
In a subsequent turn of events, Biden stepped down from the 2024 presidential race. This role of the Democratic nominee then fell upon Harris; the supposed ’emergency’ they had been preparing for materialized in ways less morbid than envisioned.
Harris, rather unsurprisingly, bore the brunt of the general elections. Despite their meticulous planning and strategies, she failed to win against Trump, casting a shadow over their succession planning in the first place.
The intricate planning, the list of judges, and the ever-ready stance for Biden’s demise, it all came to naught when faced with the reality of politics. It just underlines the futility of their elaborate preparations.
This series of events and the underpreparedness for a possible presidency transition paints a dismal picture of the Harris team. If nothing else, it provides a stark reminder of the often unfounded pessimistic fears about Biden’s term, revealing a less than flattering image of the democratic vitality within the party.