Joe Biden's recent remarks that he could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election reportedly have strained the relationship between the president and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden this month told USA Today he would have beaten Trump had he remained in the race and not given way to Harris.
"It's presumptuous to say that, but I think yes," Biden, 82, said after being asked whether he could have won the election.
A few days later, Biden told reporters that he "could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump." He also said that Harris "could have beaten Trump, would have beaten Trump."
Biden's contention has upset Harris, who has told close allies and family members she is disappointed, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
"Harris has expressed deep sadness to people close to her over losing the election and Biden's comments, some of those people said," the Journal reported.
People close to Harris, who lost to Trump in an electoral vote landslide, told the newspaper that Biden's assertion shows the "one-sided loyalty" of their relationship.
During several public displays in recent weeks, Jill Biden seemingly has ignored the vice president. Media reports have indicated the first lady remains upset at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Harris, and other Democrats for pushing her husband off the party's national ticket.
During former President Jimmy Carter's funeral last week, Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff didn't interact much with the Bidens, who were seated next to them.
Last month, WSJ reported that the relationship between the Bidens and Harris and Emhoff has been "frosty" in recent private settings. It added that Jill Biden has not been fond of Harris since the 2020 presidential election, when she accused the president of opposing school busing in the 1970s.
Axios reported in mid-October that the relationship between Harris' team and Joe Biden's White House became increasingly fraught in the final weeks before Election Day.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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