With the election less than three weeks away, Harris has been pressured to differentiate herself more clearly from the president.
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US President Joe Biden on Tuesday emphasised that Vice President Kamala Harris would “cut her own path” if she wins the 2024 election, signalling a shift in focus with three weeks to go until election day.
Speaking at the Sheet Metal Workers International Association in Philadelphia, Biden highlighted Harris’s potential to bring fresh perspectives to the country’s challenges, contrasting her approach with that of former President Donald Trump, whose views Biden labelled as “old, failed, and thoroughly dishonest”.
Biden’s remarks suggest Harris will have more freedom to establish her own political identity in the final weeks of the campaign.
Harris, who has faced increasing pressure to clarify how her policies would differ from Biden’s, has maintained loyalty to the president while focusing on her vision for change.
Harris has repeatedly said, “I’m not Joe Biden,” but has not been forthcoming with any specific policy distinctions.
Reflecting on his own presidency, Biden noted, “Every president has to cut their own path. That’s what I did, and that’s what Kamala will do.”
He praised Harris’s leadership and expressed confidence in her ability to guide the country forward, assuring the audience that passing the torch to Harris was a decision he made with full confidence in her ability to lead the next generation.
Biden also took the opportunity to attack Trump, criticising his refusal to accept the 2020 election results and his support of the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
Biden has made few public campaign appearances since stepping back from the 2024 race, which he dropped out of after a poor debate performance saw his party lobbying him hard to give up his candidacy.