Quick Hit:

President Biden reportedly has no plans to campaign alongside Vice President Kamala Harris before Election Day, marking a strategic separation in their efforts leading up to November.

Key Details:  

• President Biden will not appear on the campaign trail with Kamala Harris before Election Day, per NBC News.
• Harris emphasized that her presidency would not be a “continuation” of Biden’s administration.
• Reports suggest tensions between Biden and Harris have influenced this decision, with Biden stepping back to focus on his current role.

Diving Deeper: 

President Joe Biden has no plans to campaign alongside Vice President Kamala Harris in the run-up to Election Day, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. The decision aligns with Harris’s recent statements on Fox News, where she distanced herself from Biden, stating that her prospective presidency would not be a continuation of their joint administration.

Harris’s comments echoed Biden's acknowledgment earlier in the week that she will “cut her own path” if elected. The separation is reportedly a mutual decision to project this narrative of distinction, with aides from both camps confirming that Biden will continue to focus on his presidential duties while Harris campaigns on her own.

The separation also comes amid reports of increasing tension between Biden and Harris’s teams. According to Axios, some Biden aides remain upset over the president being pressured to exit the race in July, while others are fully supportive of Harris’s campaign. Biden dropped his reelection bid over concerns about his ability to beat the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and to help Democrats down-ballot in key races.

Biden and Harris last appeared together at a joint rally in Pittsburgh in early September. Since then, Biden has reportedly focused on his responsibilities as president, while Harris seeks to craft her own message on the campaign trail. The rift between their teams, however, has reportedly widened, as some Biden allies privately criticize Harris’s leadership capabilities, concerns further fueled by a recent interaction caught on camera between Biden and former President Barack Obama.