Overview

• On August 1, veteran journalist Mark Halperin reported that Biden’s inner circle has compiled unflattering accounts of Kamala Harris’s vice presidency and stands ready to publish them if her memoir or public remarks threaten President Biden.
• Halperin labeled the potential disclosures “Palinesque” in reference to Sarah Palin, suggesting they reveal how the team tried to prepare Harris for her roles before concluding she underperformed in key areas.
• To date, none of the alleged stories have been released, but Biden allies warn they could emerge as leverage if Harris’s September memoir or subsequent interviews are seen as undermining his legacy.
• Harris is actively promoting her upcoming campaign memoir and continues to publicly reject claims that Biden exhibited cognitive decline during their administration.
• The threat to air internal critiques breaks with traditional norms of vice-presidential loyalty and highlights escalating tensions over narrative control within Democratic leadership.