Kamala Harris, 59, is the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of Asian origin -- her mother was from India -- to hold the job that puts her a heartbeat from the presidency
AFP

The camp of former President Donald Trump has already made initial moves to discredit Vice President Kamala Harris amid discussions that she might replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic contender for the November elections.

For the past 48 hours, Trump's campaign, along with his allies, has kept social media busy with what appears to be an all-out attack on the vice president in the event she replaces Biden following his dismal debate performance, Reuters reported.

Biden has repeatedly insisted that he will not back out of the race and that he plans to continue until November. Harris has shown him support even after the debate. However, an attack on Harris will not result in any losses for Trump; rather, it will lay the groundwork to weaken Harris in case she emerges as Biden's replacement. As of now, Harris has not indicated anything related to being a replacement but has insisted on her loyalty and support for Biden.

"I am proud to be Joe Biden's running mate," Harris noted when asked if she would be ready to lead the U.S. if called upon, the LA Times reported.

For quite some time, Republicans have not held back in attacking the vice president during Biden's term in office. But this week's attacks seem more coordinated and represent an escalation compared to previous criticisms of Harris. It also appears that these actions are linked to talks of her potentially replacing Biden in the race.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) referred to Harris as the "enabler in chief" of the president. The committee oversees House Republican races.

Additionally, MAGA Inc., a PAC that supports Trump, released a statement calling Harris the "invasion czar." In 2021, Biden tasked Harris with addressing illegal immigration and leading efforts with Central American nations and Mexico.

Republicans saw this as an opportunity to accuse her of failing to prevent millions of migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally, despite her not being directly responsible for securing the southern border.

"Kamala Harris is incompetent. She's proven to be the weakest, worst vice president in history, and she has 100% supported Joe Biden in every single disastrous policy he has implemented over the last four years," a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, Karoline Leavitt, said.

In response to the assault on the vice president, Biden's camp pushed back without stating whether Harris would replace the president as the Democratic candidate in November.