When an Angry Jill Biden Said Kamala Harris Should ‘Go F–K Herself' for Debate Attack on Joe Biden

Joe Biden's primary opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, allegedly threw a wrench into the Bidens' relationship when she criticized him for his busing record and boasted about his ties to segregationist senators. According to Politico's report at the time, Jill Biden let her frustrations out on a group phone call with supporters one week later. According to Dovere, this happened after Joe Biden had given a speech in which he reflected on his early days in office and sought to highlight his track record as a negotiator. Harris, who is now the Vice President, criticized Biden's record of opposing federally mandated interracial busing to desegregate schools.

Jill Biden directly attacked Kamala and said at the time, "With what he cares about, what he fights for, what he’s committed to, you get up there and call him a racist without basis? Go f–k yourself." By that stage in the campaign, Biden's complex and lengthy record on racial justice issues, such as school busing and criminal justice, was drawing a lot of attention from the media, thanks in part to the opposition research conducted by Harris's team, as per the book. At a fundraiser in New York City just before the debate, Biden made some controversial remarks about the "civility" he remembered from his time working with senators he disagreed with, including two Democrats who had backed segregation.

As reported by Business Insider, Biden said at the time, "I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. He never called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son'. Well guess what? At least there was some civility. We got things done. We didn't agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it finished. But today, you look at the other side and you're the enemy. Not the opposition, the enemy. We don't talk to each other anymore."

In her confrontation with Biden during the debate, Harris—who is biracial—said: "I do not believe you are a racist and I agree with you when you commit yourself to the importance of finding common ground, but it's personal and it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country."

As reported by CNN, Harris criticized Biden for his contentious stance on school busing. She added, "It was not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me. So I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats."

Biden at the time responded, "It's a mischaracterization of my position across the board. I do not praise racists. That is not true." After the debate ended, leaning to his right, then-candidate Biden said, "Well, that was some f---ing bullshit," to Pete Buttigieg, who was also a contender in 2020 but is now Biden's transportation secretary.