In 2021, when the first female vice president was inaugurated into office, Democrats were excited about Kamala Harris’ future in politics, according to polls. Now, as the 2024 election rolls around, her ratings have dropped, and many view the idea of Harris holding a presidential position as a worst-case scenario. Republicans are particularly starting to fear Harris more than Joe Biden because the chance that she could become president in the next four years if Biden is reelected is a realistic possibility.
As VP, Harris has undertaken jobs that have not made her a favorable choice for Republicans, including visiting the border and advocating for abortions. She has become the Biden campaign’s leading voice on pro-choice, making her an unpopular figure for the roughly 44% of Americans who view themselves as pro-life, according to Statistica. Harris’ association with topics that would turn most Republicans away from supporting her contributes to the decline in her popularity, according to some pollsters. As of March 8, 2024, FiveThirtyEight recorded that 52.6% of Americans disapprove of Harris, only 35.9% approve of her, and she hasn’t had a net-positive approval rating since June 2021. Right-wing media networks have also been openly anti-Harris. In an interview with GOP candidate Donald Trump, former Fox News host and conservative Tucker Carlson criticized Harris and her speaking style.
“The closer Harris gets to the presidency, the further she has become from convincing the country that she is presidential,” Carlson said.
Recently, Harris has been a victim of brutal digs by the GOP candidates in the 2024 election season, which has only contributed to the decline in her popularity. At various Republican rallies in 2024, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump have all referenced a Harris presidency as a potentially frightening outcome if Biden is reelected.
“[Harris] is not a president of the United States’ future,” Trump said.
Harris is not solely a concern of the Republican party. Columnists at New York Magazine and The Washington Post argue that a new VP pick for Biden might be a better campaign strategy than sticking with Harris. However, the Biden-Harris campaign has not let these opinions affect them. According to ABC News, the Biden-Harris campaign has raised more than $53 million this past February, indicating that her unpopularity is not affecting their fundraising. Harris was featured 13 times in the recent Biden re-election video announcement.
Some members of the Marlborough community have also picked up on Harris’ struggle to find support this election season, and Siena Grouf ’25 was particularly surprised by Biden’s choice to keep Harris on his campaign.
“He is about to enter a race that he is likely to lose, and if he does win, it will be by razor-thin margins,” Grouf said. “To run with someone with such low approval ratings would be losing an opportunity to choose a VP who could garner votes and could easily lose him the election.”
