Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday she understood when taking her oath that her duties may require her to step in as president if something were to happen to President Joe Biden.
"Every vice president understands that when they take the oath that they must be very clear about the responsibility they may have to take over the job of being president. I'm no different," she said.
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However, she went on to clarify in an interview with the Associated Press, "I'm answering your hypothetical — but Joe Biden is going to be fine. So that is not going to come to fruition."
Harris was also confronted with new polls showing significant concern from voters on both sides of the aisle over Biden's age. The president is 80 years old now and would be 86 at the end of a second term.
Asked if Biden will be able to serve until he is 86, Harris said, "Yes, I see him every day.
"A substantial amount of time we spend together is in the Oval Office where I see how his ability to understand issues and weave through complex issues in a way that no one else can, to make smart and important decisions on behalf of the American people, have played out," she explained.
"I will say to you that I think the American people ultimately want to know that their president delivers, and Joe Biden delivers," Harris added.
Recent polls have shown serious concern over Biden's age, with most Americans and even most Democrats saying he can't effectively serve another four-year term. The likely 2024 Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, who leads the field by double digits, is also considered too old. More than half of Americans, 51%, said that Trump couldn't effectively serve a four-year term either.
Other Republican candidates hoping for the nomination in 2024 have seized on age as an important distinction. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has called for mental competency tests for politicians over 75, which would include both Biden and Trump. She has also brought attention on several occasions to the possible scenario of Harris taking over the presidency. While Vivek Ramaswamy has been particularly complimentary of Trump, he's drawn one specific contrast — his age. Ramaswamy is 38 years old and says he has "fresh legs," which Trump does not.
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Harris has a particularly poor approval rating as well as a record-low net favorability rating for a vice president. In a recent NBC News poll, Harris received a net-negative rating of -17, a first for the survey.
Rival candidates, Haley in particular, are hoping to frame the 2024 race as not necessarily one against Biden, but against Harris too. In attempting to do so, they are reminding voters of the possibility of a "President Harris."