CSNbbs

Quote:Kamala Harris appears to be making some distance between herself and her boss Joe Biden as the president struggles with record low poll numbers and multiple crises plaguing the country.

When Biden picked Harris to be the first female and woman of color to be vice president he strongly indicated she would be an equal partner in his administration.

In recent months, however, it appears the 2020 rivals-turned-running mates have drifted apart as Harris appears ot have taken on lower-profile and less controversial tasks, mostly to promote the president's agenda.

In the Biden-Harris administration's first nine months Harris has participated in 486 public and private events.

But the number of open press events she has done with the president has already fallen sharply from 18 in the short month of February to just one each in September and October - marking September 11 and the anniversary of Martin Luther King's memorial dedication.

A former Harris adviser told the Los Angeles Times said despite their public show of unity that Biden and Harris still remain divided by a lack of trust.

They said the vice president is disgruntled that 'she hasn't been given any all-star portfolio' to work with. The White House disputed the characterization.





Instead, a compilation of all of her publicly-announced events by the Times shows a more traditional vice presidency where she travels to promote her boss's plans for the country rather than sitting in the board room shaping them.

In January for example, Biden and Harris had a packed schedule of 20 White House events together - despite only taking office on January 20.

But in October, which is a week from being over, they only have seven events on their shared calendar. Six were closed to press.

The most events the two had together - ranging from private lunches to public speeches - was in February in March, where they presented a united front on 38 occasions in each period.

In August, when the administration was grappling with the US's hasty military withdrawal from Afghanistan and Harris was embarking on her Southeast Asia tour, they met 16 times. The next month that number was slashed in half.

A White House official indicated to DailyMail.com that the public daily schedule doesn't tell the fill story. They said Biden and Harris often have meetings together that are not on their respective offices' daily guidance.

The official also said Biden and Harris meet weekly for lunch.

'The Vice President keeps a busy schedule doing the work of the Administration and always in support of the President,' Harris spokesperson Sabrina Singh told DailyMail.com.

'Sometimes those events are together, other times apart, sometimes she is on the road amplifying the agenda of the Administration and highlighting the importance of Build Back Better.'

One of Harris's most highly-publicized consistent projects has been overseeing the migrant crisis as Biden's border czar.

She was named to the position in late March as the administration was looking at border apprehension numbers that had exceeded the same period the year before. Since then more than 1.7 million people were encountered at the southern border as of September, the highest number seen in decades.

Out of her nearly 500 public and private events so far only 15 have been linked to that role. Two of them were open press events while the remaining were somehow limited in access.

Her most recent event connected to US-Mexico border migration was on August 3, when she and Biden met with Latino community leaders to discuss immigration reform and commemorate the 2019 El Paso mass shooting.

Biden and Harris initially clashed on the 2020 Democratic primary debate stage, including one particularly heated exchange when Harris confronted Biden on his past opinion on bussing, a program aimed at helping de-segregate schools that Harris herself was a beneficiary of.

But after becoming a single ticket and later a single administration, White House officials have strived to portray the two as leading together rather than a chief and his number two.



Biden reportedly held a similar role to the one he hopes to portray on Harris when he was Barack Obama's vice president, where he strived to appear as the president's partner rather than his deputy.

Some political analysts even saw Harris as Biden's heir apparent after the 78-year-old told donors in 2020 that he expected to lead a 'transitional' administration.

Earlier this year it appeared as if Biden was giving Harris that role, as evidenced by her appearing at his first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

But since then their meetings with heads of state have been largely without each other's presence.

Officials told the Times that the pandemic was at least partially to blame for what appears to be the two allies drifting apart.

They said the easing of pandemic restrictions and decreasing case rate in many places has allowed members of the administration to travel more, and get on the road to promote Biden's agenda to the American people.

That means they haven't met privately much, either.

After attending 15 of Biden's daily Oval Office briefings in February and 17 in March, Harris was only at two this month.

TIMLELINE OF HARRIS AND BIDEN DRIFTING APART: Joint public appearances drop from 18 in February to just one in October

Jan-21: Virtual Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service hosted by the Washington National Cathedral

Jan-21: Harris joins Biden when he signs executive order on national COVID-19 strategy

Jan-22: Harris attends Biden remarks on his administration’s response to the economic crisis and sign executive orders in the State Dining Room

Jan-25: Biden meets with Harris, Secretary of Defense Lloy Austin, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley in Oval Office

Jan-25: Harris joins Biden when he delivers remarks on strengthening American manufacturing and signs an executive order related to American manufacturing and American workers in the South Court Auditorium

Jan-26: Harris joins Biden when he delivers remarks to outline his racial equity agenda and signs executive actions

Jan-27: Harris joins Biden when he delivers remarks on tackling climate change, creating jobs, and restoring scientific integrity, and sign executive actions in the State Dining Room

Jan-28: Harris joins Biden when he signs executive actions strengthening Americans' access to quality, affordable health care in the Oval Office

Jan-29: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives Biden and Harris an economic briefing

Feb-1: Biden and Harris meet with Republican Senators on American Rescue Plan

Feb-2: Harris joins Biden when he signs executive orders advancing his priority to modernize our immigration system in the Oval Office

Feb-4: Biden and Harris visit State Department to speak with staff and Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Feb-5: Biden and Harris meet with House Democratic leaders and the Chairs of the House committees working on the American Rescue Plan

Feb-5: Harris joins Biden remarks on the state of the economy and the need for the American Rescue Plan to deliver relief to working families

Feb-8: Biden and Harris virtually tour the State Farm Stadium vaccination site in Glendale, Arizona from the South Court Auditorium

Feb-9: Biden, Harris and Yellen meet with business leaders over American Rescue Plan

Feb-10: Biden and Harris travel to pentagon for meeting with Austin and Defense Department leaders

Feb-11: Biden and Harris hold infrastructure meeting with bipartisan group of Senators

Feb-12: Biden and Harris meet with bipartisan governors on American Rescue Plan

Feb-12: Biden and Harris get economic briefing from Yellen

Feb-17: Biden and Harris meet with labor leaders on American Rescue Plan

Feb-22: Harris joins Biden for remarks on lives lost during COVID-19 pandemic

Feb-22: Biden, first lady, Harris and second gentleman attend candle lighting ceremony for COVID dead

Feb-23: Harris joins Biden for first bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Feb-24: Biden and Harris meet with bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers over US supply chains

Feb-24: Harris joins Biden for executive order on the economy

Feb-25: Harris and Biden host event commemorating the 50 millionth COVID-19 vaccine shot

Mar-2: Harris joins Biden for his speech on COVID-19 pandemic

Mar-3: Harris and Biden host bipartisan meeting on cancer

Mar-4: Harris and Biden meet with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and bipartisan House lawmakers on infrastructure

Mar-5: Biden and Harris get economic briefing from Yellen

Mar-8: Biden, Harris and Austin deliver remarks on International Women's Day

Mar-12: Biden and Harris hold virtual meeting with prime ministers of Japan, India and Australia

Mar-12: Biden and Harris deliver remarks on the American Rescue Plan in the Rose Garden

Mar-18: Harris joins Biden for COVID-19 vaccination remarks

Mar-19: Biden and Harris visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia

Mar-19: Harris attends Biden speech at Emory University

Mar-24: Biden and Harris meet with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and immigration advisors

Mar-29: Harris joins Biden for speech on COVID-19 response and the state of vaccinations

Mar-30: Harris joins Biden when he signs PPP Extension Act of 2021 into law

Apr-1: Harris joins Biden for Cabinet meeting

Apr-7: Harris joins Biden for remarks on investments in the American Jobs Plan

Apr-8: Biden, Harris and Attorney General Merrick Garland delivery remarks on gun violence prevention

Apr-9: Biden and Harris receive weekly economic briefing

Apr-12: Biden and Harris meet with bipartisan group of Members of Congress to discuss the American Jobs Plan

Apr-13: Biden and Harris meet with members of the Congressional Black Caucus

Apr-15: Biden and Harris meet with members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Apr-20: Biden and Harris meet with leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Apr-21: Harris joins Biden for remarks on the COVID-19 response and the state of vaccinations

Apr-28: Harris attends Biden address to Joint Session of Congress

May-5: Harris joins Biden for remarks on the economy

May-12: Biden and Harris meet with members of the Congressional Leadership to discuss policy areas of mutual agreement

May-13: Biden and Harris meet with Senator Capito, Senator Barrasso, Senator Blunt, Senator Crapo, Senator Toomey, and Senator Wicker about the best ways to invest in American infrastructure

May-20: Harris joins Biden when he signs the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law

May-31: Biden and Harris participare in wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Jun-2: Harris joins Biden speech on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program

Jun-17: Biden signs Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law

Jun-24: Biden and Harris meet with a bipartisan group of Senators on infrastructure negotiations

Jun-24: Harris attends Biden remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure deal

Jun-30: Biden and Harris hold Cabinet meeting with Western US governors on private sector partners to discuss the devastating intersection of drought, heat, and wildfires in the Western United States

Jul-2: Harris attends Biden welcome for 2020 World Cup champions the LA Dodgers

Jul-14: Harris attends Biden meeting with bipartisan governors and mayors on Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

Jul-15: Biden and Harris speak to mark the day that tens of millions of families will get their first monthly Child Tax Credit relief payments thanks to the American Rescue Plan

Jul-20: Harris joins Biden for Cabinet meeting to mark six months in office

Jul-22: Harris attends Biden's signing of the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021

Jul-22: Biden and Harris meet with union and business leaders to discuss Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

Jul-26: Biden and Harris speak on 31st anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act

Jul-30: Biden and Harris meet with governors to strengthen wildfire prevention, preparedness and response efforts

Aug-3: Biden and Harris meet with Latino community leaders to commemorate 2019 El Paso mass shooting

Aug-5: Biden and Harris meet with civil rights leaders to mark 2019 mass shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin

Aug-5: Biden and Harris honor US Capitol Police officers over January 6 attack

Aug-10: Biden and Harris deliver remarks on Senate passing bipartisan infrastructure bill

Aug-20: Harris attends Biden speech on US Afghanistan evacuation

Sep-11: Biden and Harris attend wreath laying ceremony at Pentagon to commemorate September 11 attacks

Oct-21: Biden and Harris deliver remarks on the 10th anniversary of DC's Martin Luther King Jr. memorial