Kamala Harris allies are privately grumbling that Gavin Newsom's plan to debate Ron DeSantis is 'disrespectful' to the VP as they see the move as early jockeying for 2028, report says

[Hoover]

California Gov. Gavin Newsom hasn't been shy about going after Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis over the past year, and in the process has grown his
profile as one of the most recognizable Democrats in the country.

While Newsom was thought to be a potential 2024 Democratic primary
challenger to President Joe Biden, he poured cold water on those rumors
months ago and has been one of the the president's biggest surrogates,
holding fundraisers for his political ally and traveling with him
throughout the state as they champion the administration's policies.

But some of Biden's political advisors are annoyed with Newsom, according
to NBC News, as the governor is set to debate DeSantis on Fox News in a
event to be moderated by conservative anchor Sean Hannity.

And the frustration extends to allies of Vice President Kamala Harris,
according to the news outlet.

Harris, who would be a natural successor to Biden in the 2028 Democratic
presidential primary, would likely face a crowded field of ambitious
politicians looking to win the party nomination given her early stumbles
as vice president.

Several of Biden's advisors feel as though the debate might give the
impression that there's a contested primary, which could cause issues for
the party coalescing around the president next year given that some
Democrats have expressed reservations about nominating him for a second
term.

Some Biden advisors also feel the debate could boost DeSantis, whose
presidential campaign has so far failed to erode former President Donald
Trump's dominance in the GOP primary, per NBC News. However, some advisors
feel as though the debate won't affect the Biden campaign and might
actually allow Democrats to use one of their younger leaders to advance
the party's policies.

Still, Harris' allies see the debate as Newsom's attempt to leap ahead of
his fellow Golden State counterpart in the eyes of Democratic voters
looking ahead to the 2028 presidential race, according to NBC News.

An outside advisor to Harris told the outlet that Newsom's actions were
"disrespectful."

"Joe Biden is running with Kamala Harris. That's the Democratic ticket,"
the outside advisor said.

The debate might not happen, as the two sides had gone back-and-forth over
the terms of the event.

Harris declined a debate invitation from DeSantis after she criticized him
over new standards adopted by the Florida Department of Education
regarding the teaching of slavery in public schools.

But Biden could benefit from the governor of the largest state in the
country defending his record as the president still struggles to make
headway with convincing most Americans that his economic policies have
been working.

In a recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public
Affairs Research, Biden had a 42% approval rating overall, but had a 36%
approval rating when it came to his handling of the economy.

A Biden advisor who spoke to NBC News praised Newsom over his strong
support of the president's reelection bid and didn't have major
reservations about the governor potentially debating DeSantis.

"What he's doing here is appropriate for a surrogate. It would not be
appropriate for the president or the vice president," the advisor said.

"We're in close touch with him. This is the kind of thing we want
surrogates to do," the advisor added.

Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz told NBC News that the campaign
didn't have an issue with the debate.

"Governor Newsom is a strong partner and surrogate for the Biden-Harris
campaign," Munoz wrote in a text message. "We coordinate closely on
campaigning, whether it's fundraising or media. When he brought the debate
idea to us, we endorsed it."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/kamala-harris-allies-privately-grumbling-
145231111.html