US VICE PRESIDENT Kamala Harris has said she is “ready to serve” as concerns over President Joe Biden’s fitness for office have grown since a recent report described him as forgetful.
Harris (59), who would take over the presidency if Biden (81) were incapacitated or stood down, has faced scrutiny of her own leadership abilities and, like Biden, has low approval ratings among the US public.
She is the first Black, South Asian and female vice president in US history and the target of frequent Republican criticism and attacks.
“I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that,” Harris told The Wall Street Journal when asked if Biden’s age meant she must convince voters of her own leadership credentials.
Harris said that everyone she works with ”walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead”.
The interview, which was published today, took place two days before the publication of a special counsel report on a probe of Biden’s handling of classified documents during his time as vice president.
The report said he should not face charges but it also painted a damning picture of the US president’s mental faculties, saying he would come across to a jury as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
That characterisation has piled yet more pressure on the Democratic president who has had a number of gaffes throughout his term in office.
Biden responded angrily to the content of the report and the White House said Biden had been under intense pressure at the time due to the conflict in Palestine.
In her interview with The Wall Street Journal, Harris described the report as “politically motivated”.
