‘Do not hold grudges’: Joe Biden speech notes reveal Kamala Harris talking points amid VP rumours

Joe Biden was photographed on Tuesday clutching speech notes with a revealing set of talking points about likely VP pick Kamala Harris.

Joe Biden holds a pad with speech notes during a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware on July 28, 2020. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

Joe Biden was photographed on Tuesday clutching speech notes with a revealing set of talking points about Kamala Harris – lending further weight to a blunder by news site Politico that may have prematurely revealed her as his VP pick.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was fielding questions from reporters at an event in Delaware when several photographers snapped close-ups of the former Vice President’s handwritten notes.

Under the heading “Kamala Harris”, the first talking point read, “do not hold grudges” – an apparent reference to a clash during the Democratic primary debates earlier this year where she took aim at some of Mr Biden’s past stances on racially charged issues.

Joe Biden’s talking points about Kamala Harris. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

The Hill reports Mr Biden and his wife Jill were hurt by the ambush from Ms Harris, who was close with their late son Beau, but that the relationship has since improved. The other talking points said Ms Harris “campaigned with me & Jill” was “talented”, a “great help to campaign” and that he had “great respect for her”.

At the press conference – which began with the 77-year-old seemingly forgetting where he was – Mr Biden did not ultimately end up fielding questions about Ms Harris. He remained tight-lipped about the search for a running mate, promising to announce his pick in the “first week of August”.

Further down the note pad under the heading “VP”, Mr Biden wrote that he was looking for someone “highly qualified” among a “diverse group”. Other names that have been floated are Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Representative Val Demings and former White House national security adviser Susan Rice.

THIS IS NOT A JOKING MATTER FOR JOE BIDEN.

"Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the Kingswood community center. Actually, that's the one down where I used to work. That's a joke. I didn't know where we were." -Joe Biden.

He has a long history of not knowing where he is.

Thread pic.twitter.com/JkjOP4bntL

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 28, 2020

The event came shortly before Politico appeared to accidentally publish an embargoed announcement to its page tracking the candidates to join Mr Biden as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee.

“Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris to become his running mate for the 2020 election on August 1, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, after keeping his choice close to his chest for months,” read the update, which was quickly switched back.

“In his announcement, Biden called Harris ‘a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate’, alluding to the pair’s rivalry during the earlier stages of the Democratic primary. She will bring her experience as a prosecutor, household name recognition, and skill as a debater to the ticket.”