WASHINGTON — President Biden complained to former President Barack Obama that “she” is “not as strong as me,” in a surprising off-mic conversation deciphered for the Post by a professional lip reader. agreed, saying, “That’s right.”
Vice President Kamala Harris’ apparently frank assessment of her position ahead of the November 5 election came Wednesday afternoon as America’s two most recent Democratic presidents met at Ethel Kennedy’s memorial service in Washington. It happened to.
“She’s not as strong as me,” the 81-year-old Biden said, according to a translation created by analyzing lip movements on video during the debate.
“I know…that’s true,” the popular former president agreed, adding, “There’s time.”
“Yes, we will make it in time,” Biden said. Mr. Biden was forced on July 21 by his fellow Democrats to abandon his party’s nomination in favor of Ms. Harris, in a revolt that Mr. Obama was expected to support.
Shortly before that, President Obama had mentioned the possibility of campaigning alongside Harris, saying, “It’s important that we spend time together.”
The conversation was translated for the Post by London-based forensic lip reader Jeremy Freeman, who was born deaf and has been a University College London Certified Expert Witness for litigants, police and journalists for 16 years. I have served as
Freeman’s transcript did not include Harris’ name, but it is unclear who else the conversation involved.
Freeman said conservation efforts have been “very collaborative,” and that Obama and the Bidens were at odds with each other, as had been speculated in online comments, as Obama was seen shaking his head. He said he did not sense any “tension” between them.
Democratic Party officials asked about the translation were divided, with some saying they believed it was an honest look at the current state of the 2024 election and others questioning the script’s accuracy. He expresses such strong distrust that he questions it.
“From the beginning, there were concerns that Harris was not a viable replacement for Biden, who was clearly a sinking ship. They even floated the idea of removing him from the list of candidates,” said one Democratic Party official.
“Democrats have effectively robbed Peter to pay Paul, and now they’re stuck with a sinking ship that’s not very nice.”
Biden’s press secretary, Andrew Bates, scoffed: “A ‘lip-reading expert’?” Were the usual right-wing fortune tellers absent? Only Presidents Biden and Obama know what they discussed, but they were by no means the only ones. ”
A source close to President Obama did not deny the translation, but said, “Only President Obama and President Biden know what was discussed yesterday.” Any claim otherwise is ridiculous. ”
Meanwhile, two former Biden White House officials working to support Harris’ candidacy told the Post they were stunned by the dossier and questioned whether it was accurate. One person urged “new lip reading” and another said, “. I don’t like it when (Biden) says that.”
Harris, 59, surged in the polls shortly after being chosen to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee against former President Donald Trump, but has since fallen in polls in key battleground states.
RealClearPolitics’ recent polling average shows Harris trailing Trump, 78, in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Republicans have outperformed public opinion polls in each of the past two presidential elections.
Biden initially refused to bow out, claiming he won the nomination with more than 14 million votes in the state’s nominating contest earlier this year, and with only token negative votes.
After struggling to articulate her position in the June 27 debate with President Trump, Harris ultimately resigned amid mounting pressure from Democrats who questioned her mental strength. I decided to support it.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., helped lead the insurrection, pointing to grim polls showing Biden could crush the Democratic no vote. Meanwhile, actor George Clooney, a friend of Mr. Obama, wrote a scathing New York Times op-ed detailing his concerns. About Biden’s cognitive abilities.
Pelosi, 84, also attended a marathon three-hour memorial service for the Kennedy matriarch near the White House.
She and Mr. Biden have not spoken since the former speaker helped force the president to resign, but Mr. Biden winced during his remarks while praising former President Bill Clinton, who was sitting with the incumbent Mr. Obama. There seems to have been a scene.
