Kamala Harris had no trouble praising four Democratic presidents when National Urban League President Marc Morial asked her to rank the three most effective presidents in American history. Joe Biden, the man who made her vice president and later endorsed her 2024 campaign, never entered the answer.
She started with Franklin D. Roosevelt and his expansion of the federal government.
“When I think about what he did in terms of investing in the people during dire times and talking about the role and responsibility of government, that it should not just be about the benevolence of community organizations or just interpersonal relationships, that the government has a role. I think that he was a very important president.”
Harris also noted that Roosevelt pushed to expand the Supreme Court before facing “ferocious blowback.” She then used the answer to spell out what she considers the government’s three “essential functions”: public health, public safety, and public education.
Next came John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, whom Harris treated almost as a package deal.
“Given more time to think about it, I credit Kennedy, of course, in terms of what he laid the groundwork for, and then Johnson followed up on.”
That was already three presidents. Harris kept going.
Morial: “In your view, rank the top three most effective presidents in American history.”Harris: “Oh, Marc, don’t make me do that. FDR did some good things. I credit Kennedy, of course, in terms of what he laid the groundwork for, and then Johnson followed up on. And then, of course, Barack Obama.”
Obama received some of her strongest praise. Harris pointed to the Affordable Care Act and argued that the country’s health care system had failed everyone except the wealthy.
“Addressing that in the way that he did, and took a lot of heat for it, I think he’s one of the greatest presidents.”
Four names for a three-president list, yet still no Biden.
The snub comes as the relationship between Harris and her former boss looks increasingly strained. In her 2025 book, 107 Days, Harris was blunt: she called Biden’s decision to seek reelection “reckless” and blamed his “ego” for keeping him in the race long past the point of political viability.
Biden eventually withdrew after his disastrous debate against Donald Trump and quickly endorsed Harris. She inherited much of his campaign operation before losing both the Electoral College and the popular vote.
Since then, Harris has faulted Biden’s team for how it handled her role in the administration, including the political damage she suffered after becoming closely associated with the border crisis.
Biden should not take the omission personally. Harris was only asked for three presidents.
She gave four and still could not find room for him.
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