Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, stated in a recent interview that Kamala Harris is receiving poor political advice, though he declined to elaborate on his earlier criticism that she is not a very good politician. Speaking to Zeteo founder and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, Biden framed his remarks as a reflection on Harris' strategic decisions during the 2024 campaign, rather than a personal assessment of her capabilities.
Biden’s remarks on Harris’ political approach
During the interview, Hasan pressed Hunter Biden to clarify his earlier statement that Harris was "not a very good politician," despite her consistent alignment with President Biden on key issues. Biden responded by praising Harris’ past service, stating, "I think that the vice president served the country incredibly well and that she has a deep, rich future in politics." He added, "Whether she wants to run for president again, she'll be one of the, if not, the frontrunner."
When pressed further, Biden suggested that Harris’ current political strategy may be misguided. "I think that the way that she's going about it right now is, at least from my perspective …," he said, before pivoting to discuss the administration’s unity. He emphasized that while Harris could assert her own positions on certain issues—such as Gaza and Israel—she should avoid creating divisions with President Biden over their shared accomplishments.
Harris’ refusal to break with Biden
Hasan noted that Harris did not publicly diverge from President Biden on major policy issues, including the administration’s stance on Gaza and Israel. Biden responded by insisting that Harris’ loyalty to his father was not the result of pressure, stating, "I don’t think that she should have ever been any daylight between [them] in terms of what they were able to accomplish over that four-year period."
He further argued that Harris could establish her own policy positions on foreign affairs without undermining the administration’s core achievements. "I think that there might be daylight as issues related to Gaza and as it relates to Israel that of course, she needs to be able to stake her own ground on that," Biden said.
Background on Harris’ 2024 campaign
Hunter Biden also revealed that he never wanted President Biden to run for re-election in 2024 but chose not to directly advise his father against it. This disclosure follows reporting from a post-election book by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, which claimed that President Biden had instructed Harris to avoid any public disagreement with him. According to the book, Biden told Harris during a pre-debate call, "No daylight, kid."
Harris, who served as Vice President under Biden from 2021 to 2025, has not publicly addressed Hunter Biden’s recent comments. Her office has not responded to requests for clarification on the matter.