Kamala Harris's "Death-Pool Roster" Created for Biden’s Swearing-In, Says New Book Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House

Kamala Harris's "Death-Pool Roster" Created for Biden’s Swearing-In, Says New Book
Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris's Communications Director, Jamal Simmons, created a "death-pool roster" that included names of federal judges appointed by Republican presidents. This list was made in case President Joe Biden were to unexpectedly die, so these judges could help Harris take the oath of office. This information is revealed in a newly published book.

The book, titled Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, was released on Tuesday by William Morrow and Company. The authors of the book are NBC News political journalist Jonathan Allen and The Hill's Amie Parnes. According to the book, Simmons had deeply considered the situation of swearing in Harris if Biden were to die suddenly. He imagined it as a scenario similar to Lyndon B. Johnson’s swearing-in after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

However, Simmons feared that Harris’s legitimacy as president could be questioned. Specifically, he was concerned that "Trump supporters" might campaign to declare Harris’s swearing-in as illegitimate. The book states, "Simmons believed that if a federal judge appointed by a Republican administered the oath to Harris, it would be easier to accept her legitimacy."

Simmons created this roster in a spreadsheet, with the names of judges listed by city. However, Simmons claimed that he never informed Harris about this spreadsheet but had instructed other colleagues to implement it if Biden’s death occurred.

The book further claims that former President Barack Obama was hesitant to support Harris in the 2024 election. In particular, he had doubts about Biden’s mental capacity and concerns about Harris and Biden’s political skills.

Additionally, the book describes how Donald Trump made his return to the White House and the impact his victory had on the Democratic Party.

This book is based on interviews with over 150 political analysts.