Why didn't Biden endorse Kamala in his official statement?

Joe Biden endorsed Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee in the presidential election. But he did not do so immediately after dropping out of the race following his disastrous performance in the first presidential debate, which led insiders and outsiders to question the 81-year-old politician's physical and mental state. 

The president issued a statement in which he addressed Americans and explained why he was making the decision. However, in that letter, he did not officially announce his support for any Democratic leader to replace him in the race. Over 30 minutes later, he wrote a brief message on X endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, in the election against Republican Donald Trump. 

But why didn't the president mention Harris in his letter to Americans? Although that question still has no clear answer, some media outlets have speculated on what seems to be the answer to that question.

For example, according to Axios, the president doesn't trust Kamala Harris to win a presidential election. That is allegedly the reason Biden tried to stay in the race. Three sources familiar with the matter explained that the president's opinion about Harris was also the position of his advisers.

Although Harris received important endorsements almost immediately, such as that of the Clintons, the reality is that other important leaders such as Barack Obama have asked the Democratic Party to "create a process" to select an "outstanding nominee."

"We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges," Obama said, making no direct mention of the current vice president.

In the midst of the crisis in the Democratic Party, it was also learned that Biden's team and Harris' team had several differences. According to sources consulted by Axios, White House aides sometimes felt that Harris did not work well as a teammate and avoided moments that could be a risk to her political career.

Meanwhile, Harris' team has the same opinion of White House aides. "Some Harris aides felt that the White House, particularly top aide Anita Dunn, wasn't helpful to the vice president," the news outlet highlighted. 

Similarly, Harris aides felt several times that Biden was not giving his vice president opportunities as to not highlight her capabilities as a leader, while many Democrats saw her as an alternative to the current White House tenant. 

In addition, it was learned that Harris refused to go to events that she could not control and is a very demanding person with her team. In fact, there is speculation that Harris asked so much of her then-chief of staff, Karine Jean-Pierre, to such an extent that it made others uncomfortable.

"A person familiar with the matter said Biden told Jean-Pierre that she was only 'on loan' during the campaign and that her move to the White House was always part of the plan," explained Axios.