Controversial Suggestion Aims to Reshape Democratic Strategy and Presidential History
In a striking proposal that has sparked intense discussion in political circles, Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, has called for President Joe Biden to resign, suggesting a strategic move that would make Harris the first woman president in U.S. history.
The proposal
“Joe Biden has been amazing, but he should fulfill one last promise—to be transitional,” Simmons stated in a social media post, following his appearance on CNN’s “Situation Room.” The former aide’s suggestion comes in the wake of Harris’s defeat in the November 5 general election to President-elect Donald Trump.
Strategic reasoning
During his CNN interview, Simmons outlined several potential benefits of this unprecedented move:
“Joe Biden has been amazing, but he should fulfill one last promise—to be transitional,” Jamal Simmons, former communications director for the vice president said on a social media post after making a similar suggestion during a Sunday talk show.
“Joe Biden’s been a phenomenal president; he’s lived up to so many of the promises he’s made. There’s one promise left that he could fulfill, being a transitional figure. He could resign the presidency in the next 30 days, make Kamala Harris President of the United States—,” Simmons said.
“It’d turn tables on Trump, keep Kamala from presiding over January 6, and make it easier for the next woman to run,” he said.
“It would absolve her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat. And it would make sure, it would dominate the news, at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things the public wants to see. This is the moment for us to change the entire perspective of how Democrats operate,” he said. Responding to a question, Simmons said this is the best thing Biden can do now.
Multiple objectives
According to Simmons, the resignation would serve several strategic purposes:
- Create a historic moment by installing the first woman president
- Disrupt Trump’s transition planning
- Prevent Harris from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat
- Demonstrate Democratic willingness to embrace dramatic change
Political impact
“It would absolve her from having to oversee the January 6 transition of her own defeat. And it would make sure, it would dominate the news, at a point where Democrats have to learn drama and transparency and doing things the public wants to see,” Simmons argued.
Broader implications
The former aide suggested this move could have lasting effects on future presidential politics: “It would disrupt all of Donald Trump’s paraphernalia, right? He’d have to rebrand everything. And make it easier for the next woman president does not have to hold all that weight of being the first.”
Context and background
At 60 years old, Vice President Harris made history as the first woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as U.S. Vice President. Her recent defeat in the general election has prompted discussions about the future of Democratic leadership and strategies for advancing women in presidential politics.
Current status
Neither the White House nor Vice President Harris’s office has commented on Simmons’s suggestion, which comes at a sensitive time during the presidential transition period.
The proposal represents one former aide’s perspective and does not reflect any official position of the Biden administration or the Democratic Party.