WASHINGTON — Then-Vice President Kamala Harris demanded that Democratic governors worried about Joe Biden’s mental acuity fall in behind the commander-in-chief because “this is about saving our f–king democracy,” according to a forthcoming book.
Harris’ vulgar message found a loyal listener in New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who proceeded to incorrectly tell reporters on the White House driveway following the July 3, 2024, confab that “all of us said we pledged our support” to Biden.
“Many of the governors were deeply skeptical that Biden could continue his campaign, and they were furious with Hochul for suggesting otherwise,” write authors Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Tyler Pager in “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America,” out Tuesday.
Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harris’s occasional use of profanity garnered attention during her vice presidency, with some viewing it as authentic and candid and others seeing it as contrived to give that impression. In May 2024, for example, she said Asian Americans who confront social barriers may have to “kick that f–king door down.”
Hochul’s decision to talk on the driveway in front of a row of TV cameras had perplexed reporters at the time, as she was not one of the most prominent members of the gubernatorial group.
Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Jared Polis of Colorado, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — all viewed at the time as potential last-minute replacements for Biden — didn’t show up to vouch for the oldest-ever president, who would deem Harris his successor 18 days later, heading off a potential “mini-primary.”
Hochul was joined on the driveway by Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota — the then-chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, whom Harris later picked as her running mate — and Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland.
The meeting had been called to address public outcry about the 81-year-old Biden’s cognitive abilities after a dismal June 27 debate against Donald Trump, during which the president froze up and at points gave nonsensical answers, infamously claiming that he “finally beat Medicare.”
Gov. Janet Mills of Maine bluntly told Biden that voters in her state thought he wasn’t fit to serve another term and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico warned that Biden would be the first Democratic presidential candidate in 20 years to lose her deep-blue state, the authors recount.
Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, a former emergency room doctor, had asked Biden about his health, prompting the president to say he was fine, “It’s just my brain.”
“Not everyone found it funny,” write Arnsdorf, Dawsey and Pager.