Former Kamala Harris Staffer Wants Joe Biden To Resign To Throw Trump Off His Game

Being the first person to break down a social barrier is a lot of pressure, but a former Kamala Harris staffer believes the current vice president is up to the task. While speaking during a "State of the Union" segment on CNN, Harris' former communications director, Jamal Simmons, made a surprising suggestion: "There's one promise left that [Joe Biden] could fulfill, being a transitional figure. He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, [and] make Kamala Harris president of the United States." 

If Biden did make this unprecedented move, Harris would briefly serve as the first-ever female president of the United States. However, as Simmons goes on to explain, Biden's resignation would potentially do far more than elevate Harris to the highest political office in the land; it would pave the way for future female presidential hopefuls and, perhaps more importantly, throw president-elect Donald Trump off his game. For example, Simmons says that Harris' brief time as the 47th president would wreak havoc on Trump's victory-themed merchandise: "He would have to re-brand everything." 

Simmons even took his suggestion to X, formerly Twitter, where he again highlighted the impact a Biden resignation could have: "It'd turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over Jan 6, [and] make it easier for next woman to run." How realistic is Simmons' proposed scenario? Although Biden endorsed Harris after his own election dropout, his behavior throughout this election season makes it hard to imagine he'd give up his post at the eleventh hour. 

Although Joe Biden's 2024 plans didn't originally include forgoing a reelection bid, the 46th president decided to cut his losses in July 2024. In a statement shared on X, Biden explained that he was stepping down as the democratic nominee for the good of the party and the country as a whole. However, he did make a point of emphasizing what he planned to do in lieu of running for reelection, saying that he would: "focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term." This sentiment was echoed in another White House statement, which explained that Biden "looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people" (via Politico). 

Biden has shown a fondness for swiping at Donald Trump's petty behavior during the 2024 election season, so he could conceivably jump at the chance to derail at least one small part of the early days of his former rival's second term. However, given the commitment he has expressed to finishing his own tenure as president, it appears unlikely that he'll heed Simmons' suggestion.