Vice President Kamala Harris named Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama as the top three most effective U.S. presidents in American history during an interview at the National Urban League conference on Friday.
Harris, who served as vice president under President Joe Biden, did not include Biden on her list. When asked to rank the most effective presidents, she initially joked, "Marc, don't make me do that." before proceeding with her selections.
FDR was Harris’s first choice, with her citing his leadership during the Great Depression and his role in establishing Social Security and expanding the government’s responsibility in addressing crises. "I think that he was a very important president," she said, referencing a recent NPR special about Roosevelt.
Harris’s second pick was John F. Kennedy, whom she credited for laying groundwork that Lyndon B. Johnson later expanded upon, particularly in civil rights and social programs. "Around having the ability, but that was again an example of the inside outside game," she noted, referring to the interplay between political pressure and legislative action.
Her third selection was Barack Obama, whose Affordable Care Act she highlighted as a key achievement. The audience applauded when she mentioned Obama, whose policies she described as transformative.
Harris’s remarks came during a broader discussion on leadership and the role of government in addressing societal challenges. She emphasized the importance of government intervention in times of crisis, contrasting it with reliance solely on community organizations or interpersonal relationships.
The interview was conducted by Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, who posed the question as part of a broader conversation on effective governance.