Pelosi Cleans up Confusing Remarks on Kamala Harris

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi went out of her way to praise the “Biden-Harris” ticket Thursday, a day after declining to say whether she personally thought Vice President Kamala Harris was the best running mate for President Joe Biden.

“I’m excited about his candidacy,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday about the president’s campaign on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” during a segment on Biden’s age. “The Biden-Harris team is our team. We’re very proud of it, and we’re all going to work very hard to make sure that they are reelected.”

Her comments come on the heels of a Wednesday evening interview on CNN during which she extolled the vice president but didn’t directly endorse her as Biden’s best running mate. 

“He thinks so, and that’s what matters,” Pelosi told host Anderson Cooper. “And by the way, she’s very politically astute. I don’t think people give her enough credit.”

“Why would she be vice president if she were not [politically astute]?” Pelosi added.

While her office declined to comment on the CNN interview, a former Pelosi aide suggested what The Messenger should instead be following is embattled Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

“What this publication thinks is news is an attempt to pick a fight between two powerful women,” said Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s former deputy chief of staff. “Misogyny aside, Speaker Pelosi correctly pointed out that it is solely up to the president to choose his vice president and she remains fully behind the Biden-Harris ticket.”

Harris’ office declined to comment on Pelosi’s remarks in the CNN interview. 

But the episode reminded some in Harris’ world about an interview with Sen. Elizabeth Warren earlier this year, when the Massachusetts Democrat was asked on a local Boston radio station if Biden should keep Harris as his running mate. 

“I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” Warren said during the interview in late January. 

The remark caused some tension between the two Democrats. Warren sought to mend fences by calling Harris to explain what she meant. And after news reports about ongoing friction, the two women finally came together at a gathering of female senators at the Naval Observatory. At the time, Harris’ allies called Warren’s remarks “disrespectful.” 

Similarly, some Harris allies were left scratching their heads on Thursday after seeing Pelosi’s comments. 

“Speaker Pelosi knew exactly what she was saying,” said one Harris ally, who asked for anonymity to speak frankly. “There’s no question she was dodging a very specific question.” 

Those who know Harris say she won’t make a big deal of the remark. “She’ll just keep getting back to work,” the Harris ally said. “She won’t mention it to people outside her small circle.” 

“But that doesn’t mean she’ll forget,” the ally said. 

Political observers of California politics say there has never been tension or even a major difference of opinion between Harris and Pelosi.

But one source pointed out that while the pair came from the same city, “They weren’t in the same club.” 

“They never seemed close,” one former Harris aide added. 

Still, the Harris ally said the Pelosi remarks won’t matter either way. 

“As long as [Biden] is the candidate for president, she’ll be the candidate for vice president,” the ally said.