Former Vice President Kamala Harris named Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama as the three most effective presidents in American history, notably excluding President Joe Biden, under whom she served as vice president. Harris made these remarks on Friday during an appearance at the National Urban League conference.
When asked by the organization's president, Marc Morial, to rank the top three, Harris initially hesitated before naming her picks. She cited Franklin D. Roosevelt for his role in expanding Social Security and asserting the government's responsibility during difficult times. "I think that he was a very important president," Harris stated.
For her second choice, she named John F. Kennedy, also acknowledging the contributions of his Vice President, Lyndon B. Johnson. "I credit, you know, Kennedy, of course, in terms of what he laid the groundwork for and then Johnson followed up on," Harris said, referencing the "inside outside game" of policy change.
Barack Obama was Harris' third selection. The audience applauded her choice, and Harris specifically mentioned the Affordable Care Act as a key achievement. "Addressing that the way that he did and took a lot of heat for it. I think it's one of the greatest presidents," she commented.
The list's omission of Biden drew attention, particularly as Harris has been positioned as a leading figure within the Democratic party. Earlier in 2026, Harris had publicly written that Biden's decision to seek a second term was "reckless," questioning if it was "grace, or was it recklessness?" She suggested the decision should not have been solely an "individual’s ego, an individual’s ambition."
During the conference, Harris also voiced support for revisiting certain policy debates, including the Electoral College and expanding the Supreme Court. She proposed increasing the court to 13 justices and reiterated support for Puerto Rican statehood, in addition to Washington D.C. statehood.