Report: Biden's Message to Harris—'No Daylight' Was Allowed Between Their Policy Positions

Biden Urged Harris to Maintain Policy Unity in 2024 Campaign

A forthcoming book by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes claims that former President Joe Biden repeatedly urged Vice President Kamala Harris to maintain a united front with him on policy positions during her 2024 presidential campaign. Despite publicly stating that Harris should take whatever stance necessary to win, Biden privately reinforced the expectation that she remain aligned with him.

"He would say publicly that Harris should do what she must to win. But privately, including in conversations with her, he repeated an admonition: let there be no daylight between us," Allen and Parnes wrote in their upcoming book, FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, which is set to be published in April 2025. The White House / Wikimedia

Biden Reinforced Loyalty Expectation Ahead of Key Debate

According to an excerpt published by The Hill, Biden made this expectation clear even on the day of a critical debate, offering Harris a "pep talk" that also reinforced his insistence on loyalty. The authors state that Biden, no longer able to defend his own record, expected Harris to safeguard his legacy.

"Whether she won or lost the election, he thought, she would only harm him by publicly distancing herself from him—especially during a debate that would be watched by millions of Americans. To the extent that she wanted to forge her own path, Biden had no interest in giving her room to do so," the authors wrote. During the conversation, Biden reportedly told Harris, "No daylight, kid." The White House / Wikimedia

Harris Criticized for Not Distancing Herself from Biden

Throughout her campaign, Harris faced criticism for not distancing herself from Biden on key issues. Some strategists debated how best to address her role in the administration, with Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter recommending a list of accomplishments from Harris' time working with Biden. However, Harris advisor Sean Clegg pushed back against this idea.

"Wait, wait, wait! Let’s not do this. Let’s not go down memory lane," Clegg reportedly said during media preparation for an interview, according to the book. Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia

Harris Publicly Reaffirmed Alignment with Biden on The View

Harris later appeared on The View in early October, where she reinforced her alignment with Biden, telling co-host Sunny Hostin, "There is not a thing that comes to mind," when asked if she would have done anything differently than Biden over the past four years.

Neither Harris’ nor Biden’s representatives have commented on the revelations from the book. Lincoln Square Productions / Wikimedia