Former Vice President Kamala Harris sharply criticized then-President Joe Biden’s decision to run for a second term, calling it “recklessness” in an excerpt from her forthcoming memoir, "107 Days," that was obtained by The Atlantic and reported Wednesday.
"Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness," Harris wrote in the excerpt. She said the question of whether Mr. Biden should continue in the 2024 race "wasn’t a choice that should have been left to an individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition. It should have been more than a personal decision."
Harris, who served as vice president in the Biden administration, wrote that she ultimately decided not to press the president to step aside earlier in the cycle. The passage underscores a rare, public critique from a former second‑in‑command toward a president she served under and supported during the 2020 campaign.
Excerpts of the memoir, which have been circulated to media outlets ahead of its publication, lay out Harris’s account of the run-up to and aftermath of the 2024 campaign. The Atlantic reported it obtained the excerpt; the passage was widely cited in other outlets Wednesday.
The comments add to an ongoing debate within the Democratic Party about leadership, age and the decision-making process that led to the 2024 contest. Harris’s wording—framing the decision as a matter of "ego" and "ambition"—signals a candid reassessment of events inside the White House and among senior advisers during the period covered by the book.
In the excerpt, Harris framed her choice not to push Mr. Biden to withdraw as complex and painful, reflecting the high stakes she said were involved. She wrote that the nation’s future warranted a decision that transcended personal preference, though she stopped short of detailing private conversations with Democratic leaders or advisers in the passage made public.
The memoir is expected to be a detailed personal account of Harris’s time in office, including the 107 days referenced in its title. Further portions of the book are likely to draw scrutiny from political observers seeking additional detail on internal deliberations within the administration and the Democratic Party during the lead‑up to the 2024 campaign.
Representatives for Ms. Harris and Mr. Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the excerpt. News organizations that reported on the passage noted the remarks’ potential to reshape narratives about the 2024 decision-making process and to prompt renewed discussion among Democrats about succession and strategy.
The excerpt’s publication comes as the book approaches its release date, which Harris has promoted publicly, and as both supporters and critics reassess the political choices made during the recent presidential cycle.