Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday defended her decision not to criticize President Joe Biden, saying it's part of a long tradition of vice presidents not bad-mouthing their bosses.
Harris made the remarks during a campaign stop in Michigan, telling NBC, "I mean to be very candid with you; even including Mike Pence, vice presidents are not critical of their presidents. I think that really, actually, in terms of the tradition of it, and also just going forward, it does not make for a productive and important relationship."
Harris has said her leadership style would differ from Biden's if elected. She pointed to several policy initiatives she has championed, including expanding Medicare coverage for home care, increasing aid for small business, and providing more support for first-time homebuyers.
She said, "Those are the experiences and the ideas that I have that are about moving forward and really being a part of the next generation of leadership in America."
Biden has also indicated he believes Harris will go her own way.
He said this week, "Folks, Kamala will take the country in her own direction. And that's one of the most important differences in this election. Kamala's perspective on our problems will be fresh and new."
Critics, particularly former President Donald Trump, have sought to paint a potential Harris administration as a continuation of Biden's policies. The Trump campaign on Friday sent an email to supporters titled "Kamala Still Won't (Can't) Untether From Biden." The missive listed five occasions on which Harris "failed to differentiate herself from Biden."
"Her non-answers have been just as inept and incompetent as she is — and for somebody whose entire sham candidacy is premised upon representing a 'new way forward,' Kamala has offered exactly nothing to back it up," the email read.
"It's because she can't. She has been a 'partner' with Biden for the past four years and has co-signed every single one of their failures.
"They're one in the same," the email concluded.