
Harris’s lack of achievements was not the result of her not having the capacity for the job, according to the book. In another Oval Office meeting, this time with Joe Manchin shortly after Harris did a television interview with a West Virginia station that Manchin interpreted as a power play, she seemingly snubbed Manchin, not offering a handshake or acknowledgment as she left the room so the West Virginia senator could meet privately with Biden. In one meeting with Republican senators intended to entice them to support bipartisan infrastructure legislation, she ended up chiding Roger Wicker of Mississippi about the state of the economy under Donald Trump, leading to Cabinet secretaries wanting to alternately pump their fists and cover their eyes. The result, Foer reports, is that Harris “lets the criticism guide her” and thus fails to rack up meaningful achievements.įoer, an author and staff writer at The Atlantic, describes an administration where Harris is a comparatively minor player and seemingly manages to always put the wrong foot forward despite her best efforts. The new book depicts Harris as having “rabbit ears” - acutely sensitive to “any hint of criticism” and “instantly aware” of the slightest bit of discontent. The book, which has been eagerly anticipated by officials in Washington, comes out on Tuesday. It is the deepest dive so far into a White House that has been far more guarded with the press and averse to leaks than past administrations. This revelation is one of many in Franklin Foer’s new book, The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House and the Struggle for America’s Future, which is the result of two years of reporting inside the Biden administration. Eventually, a staffer caught wind of the gathering and she had to leave home and go back to work. The only person missing was Vice-President Kamala Harris, who had already left the White House for the day.

In November 2021, top Biden-administration officials gathered in the residence of the White House as the House was about to finally vote on the Build Back Better legislation that had been their objective since taking office.
