Nikki Haley, a former US envoy at the UN, says Vice President Kamala Harris would eventually take over the reins if Biden were elected
US President Joe Biden. © AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
US President Joe Biden stands little chance of remaining in office until the end of his second term should he be reelected next year, Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley has claimed. She warned that widely unpopular Vice President Kamala Harris could end up at the helm.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Haley, formerly the US’ envoy to the UN and an ex-governor of South Carolina, said that “if you vote for Joe Biden you really are counting on a President Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely.”
Harris does not enjoy particularly strong popular support. A study published by Statista last week indicated that nearly half of Americans view her performance as vice president either somewhat or very unfavorably.
In an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday, former Democratic congresswoman-turned-independent Tulsi Gabbard stated her view that “Kamala Harris is clearly unqualified to be the commander-in-chief.”
“The consequences of President Kamala Harris at the helm would be dangerous and catastrophic for the American people and our nation,” Gabbard warned.
In a video statement released on Tuesday, four years to the day after the launch of his previous presidential campaign, the 80-year-old Biden officially announced that he would run for a second term in 2024.
Harris will remain on the ticket as his vice president for this run as well.
Biden is already the oldest serving president in US history, with critics claiming that he no longer possesses the mental acuity to lead the nation.
A recent poll published by NBC News revealed that 70% of Americans and 51% of Democratic Party voters did not want Biden to seek re-election.
Another survey by the Associated Press yielded identical results.
In both polls, respondents cited Biden’s advanced age as the main reason for wanting to see someone else vying for the country’s top job.