Staff Reports
In a recent interview with “60 Minutes,” Vice President Kamala Harris was confronted with some inconvenient truths about her own unpopularity and the declining approval ratings of President Joe Biden. The interview began with Bill Whitaker referencing a recent CBS poll that showed a decrease in approval from young people under the age of 30. Whitaker asked Harris, “Why is that? What’s going on?” Unfortunately, Harris failed to provide a direct answer, instead deflecting the question by talking about climate change and student loan debt. It’s no wonder young people are losing confidence in the Biden administration when these are the priorities they choose to focus on.
Harris’s response only further highlighted the disconnect between the administration and the American people. If the Biden administration claims to be committed to addressing the concerns of young people, why aren’t their approval ratings higher? It seems that the American people are not buying into the administration’s rhetoric. This is particularly troublesome for Biden, who has been struggling with younger voters since the beginning of his presidency. It’s hard to believe that less than a year into his term, his approval ratings are already slipping.
REPORTER: Why are you and Biden so unpopular?
KAMALA HARRIS: "The challenge that we have as an administration is we gotta let people know who brung it to 'em! … It is not that the work we are doing is not very, very popular with a lot of people." pic.twitter.com/s31y7wh3P2
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 29, 2023
Harris attempted to shift blame onto the media for the lack of coverage, but the reality is that she herself is not very popular. A CBS News/YouGov poll revealed that only 41% of adults approve of the job she’s doing, which is about the same as Biden’s approval rating. It’s clear that the American people are not feeling enthusiastic about Harris as Biden’s running mate for a potential reelection in 2024. In fact, only 30% of respondents expressed enthusiasm for her as a running mate, a significant drop from the 58% who were initially excited about her selection.
Furthermore, a startling 48% of Democrats have heard “not much/nothing at all” about Harris’ work as vice president. This lack of awareness among her own party is concerning and suggests that she is not making a significant impact in her role. It’s no wonder her approval ratings are low when even members of her own party are unimpressed with her performance.
While Harris attempted to downplay her unpopularity by claiming there are polls that show her with great approval ratings, no such polls exist. The best she can muster is a 44% favorable rating in a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll, which is hardly impressive. It’s clear that the American people are not buying into the false narrative that Harris is a popular figure.
The interview also raised concerns about the possibility of Biden not being the Democratic nominee for 2024 due to his age. Multiple polls have shown that a significant portion of respondents do not believe Biden will finish out a second term. Donors have even expressed their hesitation to support Harris as the nominee if Biden were to step aside. When confronted with this concern, Harris once again provided a non-answer, refusing to engage in the hypothetical and insisting that Biden is alive and well. It’s clear that Harris is unwilling or unable to address these legitimate concerns and is simply focused on maintaining the status quo.
Overall, Harris’s interview on “60 Minutes” only served to highlight her own unpopularity and the declining approval ratings of President Biden. The American people are growing increasingly disillusioned with the administration’s priorities and lack of progress. It’s time for the Biden-Harris team to start listening to the concerns of the American people instead of deflecting and dodging questions. The future of our democracy is on the line, and it’s clear that this administration is not up to the challenge.
