Hollywood stars push for Biden to drop Harris – media

A group of actors and other Hollywood political donors has reportedly argued that President Joe Biden needs to jettison Kamala Harris as his vice president, picking a new running mate when he runs for re-election in 2024.

On a recent Zoom call with former US Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, Hollywood actors and executives claimed that Harris would hurt Biden’s chances of winning a second term because given his advanced age, voters would focus more attention than usual on the unpopular vice president, CNN reported on Sunday. Participants in the call included actors Helen Hunt, Ron Livingston and ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ star Gabrielle Carteris, CNN said, citing two unidentified people who also were on the call.

The donors asked Boxer how they could persuade Biden to replace Harris. “If that’s how you feel, you should let Biden know,” the former senator replied. Asked about the conversation, Boxer told CNN, “I said it was the president’s choice.”

Nearly seven in ten US voters (68%) believe Biden, 80, is too old to seek re-election, according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll released earlier this month. He would be 86 at the end of his second term, if he were able to serve all four years. Among Democrats, 48% of voters believe Biden would be too old, versus only 34% who disagreed.

Given that the VP would be next in line for the presidency if Biden weren’t able to serve his full term, his running mate would attract greater scrutiny. Harris is viewed favorably by only 37% of voters, compared with Biden’s 43%, according to Yahoo News/YouGov.

Even Democratic Party leaders have shown some reluctance to endorse keeping Harris on the ticket in 2024. Asked about the issue in a January radio interview, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a former presidential candidate, stopped short of saying she wants to see Harris as Biden’s running mate again. “I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team.”

CNN said its interviews with three dozen leading Democrats revealed concerns that years of negativity about Harris could hurt the party’s 2024 chances. “Any running mate is a heartbeat away from the presidency, they say, but that’s a different proposition when the heart in question has been beating for more than 80 years,” the media outlet said.