Local political expert reacts to ‘historic firsts’ as Biden steps down

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Park University Political Science Professor Matt Harris talked with FOX4 about the potential impact and significance of President Biden’s announcement to withdraw from the presidential race.

Harris said it likely will shift the conversation around both campaigns, and the recent focus on President Biden’s age and re-election could fade from the top of the discussion.

“I think it swings that pendulum back from it’s all about Joe Biden and his ability to do this job and more towards discussion of issues and also the qualifications and the abilities of both candidates,” Harris explained.

Harris said the attempted assassination of former president Trump also significantly impacted conversations around the presidential race.

“I think the way that I view them impacting November is the way that they’re going to shape the discussion, the debate, and the talking points,” Harris said.

“I think the lasting piece is how this influences the discussion. So, like with Donald Trump, and if you watch the RNC, the delegates are wearing bandages on their ears, and he really leaned into the assassination attempt,” Harris said.

”Some of the speakers, saying it was, you know, ‘divine intervention’ and things like that. So I think that their campaign is going to move into that angle of he’s a fighter, he’s a survivor.”

After withdrawing from the race, President Biden endorsed Vice President Harris as the democratic nominee.

Vice President Harris said Sunday she intends to earn and win the nomination.

“I believe, the first South Asian major party candidate, first Black woman to be a major party candidate, and of course, we’ve never had a woman president in the history of the country. So there are a lot of historic firsts there,” Matt Harris said.

“I think also those historic firsts, or would-be firsts, are something that the Harris campaign may seek to use to energize voters.”

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