In an unlikely turn of events, Kamala Harris may yet seize the title of the 47th U.S. President, albeit not through traditional electoral means. There is speculation that this unusual ascension could only transpire if Joe Biden vacates his position as President. The conjecture gyrates upon the developments that transpire in the nearing 71 days towards the presidential inauguration in the reign of President-elect Donald Trump. It is likely that the decisions pertaining to the Israeli hostages in Gaza and Trump’s administrative setup during those 71 days could add more thunder to the current humdrum.
Oddly enough, some voices are suggesting that Biden could willingly step down in the coming thirty days thus propelling VP Harris to the rank of U.S. President, replacing him. In this hypothetical condition, if Biden took the decision to hand over power, it would allow Harris a behind the curtain passage to the top seat, thereby saving her the embarrassment of verifying her own electoral failure in the Senate. But such assumptions are purely speculative without a sliver of tangible evidence that Biden would abruptly desert his term.
Yet there is a relentless echo of jesters seemingly endorsing the idea that Biden might clear a footpath for Harris’s leadership. Interestingly, Carter, who has been receiving hospice care for the past year, shiny-eyed is still hanging to vote for Harris. However, it’s almost impossible to ignore Harris’s collapse in the 2024 presidential race which underlines some significant hurdles she would need to overcome.
Despite her unsuccessful run for president in 2024, Harris may still have a glimmer of hope for a political comeback in the subsequent 2028 general elections. This echoes the tale of Trump’s political resurgence, who was marginally successful in securing a second term following his defeat against Biden in 2020.
Once the switch occurs in office roles from presidential to post-presidency, for the first time in her political career since 2004, Harris would find herself without a political title. This indicates a noteworthy hiatus in her otherwise long two-decade political journey. Yet, Harris’s concession speech hinted that this setback doesn’t mean an end to her ambitions.
‘In conceding this election, I refuse to concede the battle that drove this campaign – the struggle for freedom, for opportunity, fairness, and the dignity of all people’, were the resilient words of Harris. Her concession statement drummed up the intention of unceasing will to fight for the ideologies at the core of the nation and showcasing America in its true glory.
Despite her confident words, it was almost comedic to see her assert so considering her recent loss. Perhaps she believes she’s capable of a political revival, just like Trump’s second-term run after his initial defeat to Biden. Yet given her 2024 loss, this seems like a case of overly wishful thinking against all odds.
The notion of rebound posits a significant question, the limitation of serving more than two terms by a person as president due to a constitutional amendment. After a person completes two terms as a president, he or she is ineligible for further re-election. Therefore the potential for political comebacks, such as the one Harris appears to be hoping for, are inherently limited by the US Constitution.