Vice President Harris told me in a backstage conversation for “Axios on HBO” that the Trump administration was “out of stock” of vaccines as it left office.
The big picture: “There was no national strategy or plan for vaccinations, we left it to the states and local leaders to figure it out,” Harris told me at the White House after leading a virtual COVID event with African American mayors.
- “In many ways, we are starting from scratch on something that has been raging for nearly a whole year.”
Harris said she is constantly pushing her team to the question, “Can we do more? Where is there capacity to do more?”
- “The suffering,” she said, “is so immense in terms of both the public health crisis, the number of people who have died, the number of people who have contracted it, and the economic crisis.”
- “So we are in the middle of a hurricane that is still raging, forcing us – each of us in leadership positions – to constantly ask, ‘Are we doing enough?’ ‘
- “We have to figure out a way – it has to be our standard. Our standard has to be, ‘Anything is possible, but we will have to work very hard to get it done.’ Which means … no patience for delay, no patience for, “It can’t be done.” You know, that’s how I feel about it. “
When asked what her signature problem will be, Harris said, laughing, “Making Joe Biden a success.”
- I asked her with the late New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s signature question, “How am I doing?”
- “It’s been three weeks,” Harris replied, laughing. “Give me a break!”
When Harris left, I asked her if her predecessor, Vice President Mike Pence, left a note for her.
- She said yes, but left the details like a cliffhanger.
- I heard that Pence left the note in the vice president’s office in the West Wing. It was Midwestern friendly: He said serving in the job had been the honor of his life – and wished Harris the best for her own success.