Jamal Simmons, a former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, had a real head-turner of a suggestion over the weekend. According to Simmons, President Joe Biden should do the country a “favor” and step down—yes, resign from the Oval Office—to clear the path for Kamala Harris to take the reins as president. Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate what’s really going on here.
Simmons’s remarks came during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” just days after Donald Trump secured a win over Harris in the latest election. His argument? Biden’s done a “phenomenal” job as president, has fulfilled nearly every promise he made (really?), and just has one last commitment to uphold: being a so-called “transitional figure.” According to Simmons, that means bowing out and letting Harris move into the top seat. It’s almost like Simmons is trying to rewrite the job description mid-game: forget governing, forget leading—just pass the torch because it’s time for a new look.
“Joe Biden’s been a phenomenal president,” he claimed. “He’s lived up to so many of the promises he’s made. There’s one promise left that he could fulfill, being a transitional figure. He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris the president of the United States.”
The logic Simmons is peddling goes something like this: if Biden steps down in the next 30 days, Harris can take the title of 47th president, with the bonus of dodging any personal accountability for her loss to Trump. And Simmons claims this could somehow be a lesson in “drama and transparency” that Democrats could show to the public. Drama? Sure, there’s plenty of that here. Transparency? That’s an interesting word choice for a suggestion that boils down to bypassing the electorate’s choice.
Then there’s Simmons’ pitch that Biden could nominate Harris to the Supreme Court if things don’t work out. This “Supreme Court option,” as he calls it, might be the backup plan, apparently. But suggesting Harris for a lifetime seat on the highest court as an afterthought raises even more questions. It’s as if Simmons is tossing out ideas to keep Harris in the headlines no matter what. First, make her president without an election; if that doesn’t fly, give her a seat on the Supreme Court? The messaging here is pretty transparent, alright—just maybe not in the way Simmons intended.
And let’s not forget the cherry on top. Simmons actually suggested that this would be a good way to “disrupt” Trump’s momentum. Apparently, the endgame isn’t necessarily about what’s best for the country but what keeps Trump off balance. Simmons claims this would force Trump to “rebrand everything,” as if disrupting an incoming administration’s plans is somehow reason enough for Biden to quit his own.
THESE. PEOPLE. ARE. INSANE. Kamala Harris’s former communications director has suggested that Biden should step down within the next 30 days, allowing Harris to briefly assume the presidency as a symbolic gesture. pic.twitter.com/WSCBVi87x4
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 10, 2024
In all honesty, this line of thinking seems like the ultimate example of putting the party and its optics above, well, everything else. But what about respecting the will of the voters or focusing on tackling real issues that matter? It’s astounding that, after all the talk of preserving democracy and respecting institutions, Simmons is suggesting that Biden hand over power in an unprecedented, roundabout manner.
This idea highlights a troubling trend where strategy and symbolism are taking the front seat over substance. It might be time to focus less on gimmicks and more on a governing philosophy that respects voters and operates within the boundaries of what the electorate has actually chosen.
