Jon Stewart appeared visibly shocked Thursday after former Vice President Kamala Harris told the comedian that ex-prez Joe Biden was “fully competent” to serve another term.
During an episode of the comedian’s podcast “The Weekly Show,” Harris revealed that she regrets not making more of a distinction between herself and Biden during her failed White House run last year.
Stewart jumped in to clarify that he wasn’t asking about “the competence conversation,” but about differences in policies Biden wanted to implement versus Harris’ own priorities.
“No, I’m not talking about competence,” Harris insisted. “I am not talking about competence at all. No, I believe he was fully competent to serve.”
Stewart raised his eyebrows and asked, “Do you really?”
“I do,” Harris replied.
“That surprises me, actually,” Stewart said.
Harris argued that Biden was capable of serving another term – even after his disastrous debate performance and on-camera mix-ups.
But she argued there is a distinction between running for president and being president.
“Being a candidate for president of the United States is about being in a marathon at a sprinter’s pace, having tomatoes thrown at you every step you take,” Harris said.
“And to be the seated president, the sitting president while doing that – it’s a lot. It’s a lot.”
But Stewart questioned whether a person who’s incapable of carrying out a campaign could really be capable of serving as commander-in-chief.
“I think it’s a hard case to make for people that he didn’t have the stamina to run, but he had the stamina to govern because I think most people view the presidency as a marathon run at a sprint with tomatoes being thrown at you in terms of governance,” he said.
Harris’ appearance on the podcast was her latest press stop promoting “107 Days,” her book about her short campaign for the Oval Office.
Earlier in the conversation, Harris explained her rationale for sticking with Biden during the 2024 election as questions about his mental capabilities swirled.
“I care about him deeply, and I did not want to pile on with all the criticism that he was facing. I didn’t think it was necessary,” she told Stewart.
“I do realize also in reflection that I did not fully understand how big of an issue it was for some people, for me to distinguish myself from him. I felt that the distinction between he and I was pretty clear,” the ex-veep continued.
“Knowing what I know now, I would’ve probably approached it a bit differently.”
