A new political book claims that former Vice President Kamala Harris conducted a covert operation to undermine competitors for the role of Joe Biden’s running mate in the 2020 presidential race.
“Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” describes how Harris and her team engaged in a “dark-arts operation” to circulate negative information about other vice-presidential candidates considered by then-candidate Biden.
The book alleges that Harris’ team targeted Los Angeles, California, Mayor Karen Bass, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, all considered for the vice-presidential nomination.
According to the book, “Harris’ advisers spread negative information about her rivals.” However, it lacks specific details about the methods or the nature of the unfavorable information shared.
Despite these alleged actions, the book indicates that Harris maintained enough goodwill with the other women to receive their support when she became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, after former President Biden exited the race.
“Despite Harris’ alleged attempts to undercut her rivals, they all publicly endorsed her when she replaced Biden on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket,” the book notes, with Bass, Whitmer, and Abrams actively participating in Harris’ campaign events during the 2024 election cycle.
The book also covers the contentious 2024 presidential election, which concluded with President Donald Trump returning to the White House. It further highlights the tensions between the Biden White House and Harris’ campaign team during their tenure.
The authors report that Harris was “completely shocked” by her defeat to Trump in the 2024 election. The book suggests that Harris and her team did not anticipate the scale of the loss despite polling showing a close race.
Additionally, the book claims former President Barack Obama was hesitant to endorse Harris after Biden withdrew from the 2024 race. Obama reportedly had concerns about Biden’s mental fitness and was reluctant to support Harris because “he felt she couldn’t beat Trump” in the election.
This information emerges amid ongoing discussions within the Democratic Party regarding its future direction following consecutive presidential election losses to Trump in 2016 and 2024, with a temporary success in 2020.
Political analysts suggest that the book’s revelations about Harris’ alleged tactics for securing the vice-presidential nomination could impact perceptions of her political strategy and ethics as discussions begin about potential candidates for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary.
The book’s “dark-arts operation” term refers to political strategies conducted out of public view, typically involving the strategic release of damaging information about opponents or competitors. While such tactics are controversial, they are not uncommon in high-stakes political campaigns, though rarely publicly acknowledged by those involved.
Harris, who broke barriers as the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president, has not publicly addressed the book’s allegations regarding the 2020 vice-presidential selection process.
This book is among several post-election analyses exploring the factors that led to the Democratic Party’s defeat in the 2024 presidential election and the complex dynamics between Biden and Harris during their time in office.
