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Kamala Harris’ inner circle crafted a ‘Red File’ contingency plan a year before Biden dropped out: book
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ inner circle crafted a «Red File» contingency plan in the event something «traumatic» happened to President Joe Biden, the former vice president revealed in her new memoir «107 Days.»
While the Biden campaign maintained that he was running for re-election until the moment he suspended his campaign, Harris’ brother-in-law, Tony West, created a succession plan long before the president’s consequential announcement, according to Harris.
«A year earlier, he had started what he called the ‘Red File,’» Harris wrote in her book. «With a president in his eighties, he suggested, it would be malpractice on my part to be unprepared if, God forbid, something should happen.»
West had made a list of the first dozen calls to world leaders and political leaders, a plan for when to release her first statement and the rules of the transition. The «Red File» only grew as the pressure for Biden to drop out intensified, Harris said.
KAMALA HARRIS BREAKS SILENCE ON BIDEN DROPOUT, ADMITS SHE HAS REGRETS ABOUT HER HANDLING OF SITUATION
Former Vice President Kamala Harris (right) admitted in an excerpt from her new book that it was «recklessness» to allow President Joe Biden to run for re-election in 2024. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In the event of «such a traumatic moment,» Harris said, West explained to her that it would be «prudent to have a plan for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, so people don’t have to make a lot of decisions in the pressure of a crisis.»
KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS WHAT BIDEN TOLD HER JUST BEFORE CRUCIAL DEBATE WITH TRUMP THAT LEFT HER ‘ANGRY’
Harris said she didn’t want to think about such a reality, despite being the vice president to a president in his eighties, so she «left it in his hands.»
Because Harris didn’t want to be involved in such discussions, she said West met with four members of her core team during one family weekend.
«Let’s assume he’s dropping out tomorrow,» West said, according to Harris.
Brian Fallon, Harris’ communications chief, who she said participated in the meeting, said Biden dropping out was «not going to happen,» because the president was meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that week.
Then-President Joe Biden speaks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington on Friday, May 17, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
News broke that Biden was dropping out on July 21, 2024, as Harris’ team discussed the upcoming Democratic National Convention. Her team didn’t realize then that Harris would be the candidate to formally accept the Democratic nomination at the convention.
When Harris hung up the phone with Biden, West was the first person she spoke to.
«If this isn’t handled right, he will crap all over his legacy,» Harris recalls West telling her after momentarily staring at each other, shocked and in disbelief.
After Biden told his former running mate that he was endorsing her, Harris said she thanked him and said, «I will do you proud.»
«You’re gonna do great, kid,» Harris said Biden told her.
Twenty-two minutes later, Biden announced on X that he was dropping out, Harris said.
«Twenty-seven minutes after that, he endorsed me as the Democratic candidate president of the United States.»
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York City on July 31, 2025. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)
While Harris did not want to be involved in the «Red File» discussions, her inner circle’s shadow plan allowed the vice president to quickly launch her 107-day presidential campaign.
West became one of Harris’ «chosen committee of advisors,» as the campaign launched into full-gear. The committee was involved in critical decisions, like choosing Harris’ running mate and debate prep.
West is currently the senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Uber. During President Barack Obama’s administration, he was twice confirmed by the Senate to serve as a senior official, including as associate attorney general of the United States.
He met Maya Harris during law school, and they married soon after graduation, according to Harris’ book.
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Harris described him as a «political thinker, working on campaigns since he was a teenager.»
«Doug and I have taken to affectionately calling him our fifty-year-old teenage son, given how much we love taking care of him when he stays with us,» Harris wrote.
Biden’s team declined to comment on the book when reached by Fox News Digital.
kamala harris,politics,elections,democratic party,joe biden
INTERNACIONAL
Trump DOJ opens mortgage fraud probe into Eric Swalwell as congressman vows to keep fighting back
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The Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has opened a probe into Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., over alleged mortgage fraud, Fox News has confirmed.
In response, Swalwell said he was not surprised to be targeted by Trump and vowed to keep speaking out while pursuing his lawsuit.
«As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me,» the California lawmaker said.
«Like James Comey and John Bolton, Adam Schiff and Lisa Cook, Letitia James and the dozens more to come – I refuse to live in fear in what was once the freest country in the world.
SWALWELL THREATENS ‘ACCOUNTABILITY’ TO PRIVATE ACTORS WHO DEAL WITH TRUMP, HOPE IT ‘DETERS PEOPLE’
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., listens during a news conference on the introduction of their Protection from Abusive Passengers Act at the U.S. Capitol Building on April 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
«Of course, I will not end my lawsuit against him. And I will not stop speaking out against the President and speaking up for Californians,» he continued. «As Mark Twain said, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.’ Mr. President, do better. Be better.»
The probe, which was first reported by NBC, will investigate allegations of millions of dollars in loans and refinancing were based on Swalwell declaring that his primary residence was in Washington, D.C., a person familiar with the referral told the news organization.
According to the report, the director of the Federal Housing Agency, Bill Pulte, sent Attorney General Pam Bondi a letter on Wednesday accusing Swalwell of possibly making false or misleading statements on loan documents.
HOW JAMES COMEY’S INDICTMENT COULD GO SOUTH FOR THE DOJ
The source also reportedly told NBC the investigation is into possible mortgage fraud, tax fraud at the state and local level, insurance fraud and any related crimes.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment on the matter.
The news comes the same day that MSNBC reported that two sources confirmed Swalwell is looking at a run for governor in California.
The two sources reportedly told the news agency Swalwell has all but decided on the move, and one source even said the lawmaker could make an announcement as early as next week.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Swalwell’s office for confirmation on the matter.
MSNBC reported that Swalwell declined to comment on his gubernatorial ambitions.
SWALWELL, NEHLS CLASH AT CHILD MIGRANT HEARING OVER ALLEGED CHINESE SPY TIES: ‘YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT S—‘
Representative Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was criminally referred to the DOJ for alleged mortgage fraud. (John Lamparski)
Swalwell has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics, and last month he faced scrutiny over a «bizarre inconsistency» in his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filings that list several different reasons for payments to a Haitian American staffer totaling more than $360,000.
FEC filings from Swalwell for Congress and his Remedy PAC, dating back to 2021, show more than 75 payments to staffer Darly Meyer, ranging from $53 to more than $12,000 for various reasons.
Meyer received 27 payments last year totaling more than $120,000 and is on pace to earn a similar amount in 2025. The filings list multiple explanations for the disbursements, including travel, car and security services, and salary, as well as reimbursements for personal travel expenses, event flowers, and postage.
Over the years, Swalwell’s campaign has reported numerous expenditures on luxury car services, expensive restaurants, and high-end hotels in international cities such as Dubai, Berlin, Paris and London.
Swalwell also claimed there was strong evidence of collusion between Russia and Trump, but those claims have since been contradicted.
Durham’s report, released in 2023, found intelligence agencies lacked «actual evidence of collusion» to justify launching the Trump-Russia probe. The findings echoed Robert Mueller’s 2019 report, which found no criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
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This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
eric swalwell,justice department,donald trump,investigations
INTERNACIONAL
Panorama Internacional: Chile, elecciones con sorpresa y las deudas pendientes del 2019
Franco Parisi, Jeannette Jara, Marco Enriquez-Ominami, Johannes Kaiser, Jose Antonio Kast, Eduardo Artes, Evelyn Matthei y Mayne-Nicholls. Foto Reuters
Manifestantes ondean una bandera chilena durante una protesta contra el gobierno de Chile en Santiago de Chile, el 30 de diciembre de 2019. Foto ReutersINTERNACIONAL
El acuerdo con EE.UU. selló el alineamiento de Milei con Trump, pero abrió interrogantes en el Mercosur
El acuerdo sobre comercio e inversiones anunciado entre Estados Unidos y la Argentina selló a fuego el total e inflexible alineamiento del gobierno de Javier Milei con Donald Trump, pero al mismo tiempo abrió una serie de interrogantes sobre cómo impactará este entendimiento en el futuro del Mercosur y la relación con Brasil.
No por nada el acuerdo se conoció en la misma semana que desde la Cancillería se anunció que Milei se ausentará de la futura cumbre del bloque prevista en diciembre en Foz de Iguazú, donde Lula da Silva entregará a Paraguay la presidencia pro-tempore del bloque.
Leé también: Punto por punto, todos los detalles del acuerdo comercial entre la Argentina y EE.UU.
El estatuto del pacto regional impide a los países miembro suscribir acuerdos comerciales en forma individual. Milei, como lo hizo el anterior gobierno de Uruguay de Luis Lacalle Pou, busca hacer más elásticas estas disposiciones y abrir el pacto.
“La Argentina no puede negociar bilateralmente ni hacer acuerdos por su cuenta. Pero esto es un acuerdo marco que el gobierno puede presentar como exploratorio”, dijo a TN el analista internacional Mauro Embe.
El Gobierno cuidó mucho las formas de este acuerdo. La Casa Blanca lo anunció a través de “una declaración conjunta sobre el marco para un acuerdo entre Estados Unidos y la Argentina sobre comercio e inversión recíprocos”. No se habló de un acuerdo comercial.
“Así puede manejar en cierta forma los tiempos”, indicó el analista.
¿Cómo reaccionarán los demás socios del Mercosur?
El gobierno tiene como gran aliado dentro del bloque al presidente paraguayo, Santiago Peña, con quien Milei tiene un aceitado vínculo por su estrecha afinidad ideológica. Ahora se suma Rodrigo Paz, flamante mandatario de Bolivia, el último país en incorporarse al bloque.
En la vereda de enfrente se encuentra en especial Luiz Lula da Silva, némesis de Milei en el Cono Sur, y el más pragmático mandatario progresista uruguayo, Yamandú Orsi. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva y Javier Milei se vieron en Buenos Aires en la última cumbre del MERCOSUR (Vía Reuters)
“Lo que ha hecho el gobierno argentino es medio border. Está en el límite dentro de lo legal (que marca el estatuto del Mercosur). Esto podría generar una queja interna ante este avance unilateral”, dijo Embe.
Para el analista, “este acuerdo marco podría transformarse en un tratado, aunque en ningún lado se habla de un pacto de libre comercio. Lleva a futuros acuerdos. Fueron muy cautos en el nombre en este acuerdo marco para favorecer inversiones”, afirmó.
Leé también: Ser obeso o tener un hijo con discapacidad podría ser un motivo de rechazo de la visa para ingresar a EE.UU.
Ahora se abre un período de negociaciones en el seno del bloque. Si bien aún no fue definida una fecha de la cumbre, se estima que podría celebrarse el 20 de diciembre con las notorias ausencias de Milei y de Peña.
Cómo impactará el acuerdo con EE.UU. en la relación con Brasil
En este nuevo escenario no cabe duda de que el anunciado acuerdo entre Argentina y EE.UU. impactará de manera negativa en el difícil vínculo entre Buenos Aires y Brasilia.
“El primer impacto inmediato es el debilitamiento del Mercosur. Los acuerdos puntuales de país a país debilitan al bloque. Pero además, en función del conflicto que enfrenta a Brasil con EE.UU. en materia arancelaria, esto desgasta aún más la relación entre Milei y Lula que ya no era buena pero permanecía” sin cambios en el terreno comercial, dijo a TN el analista brasileño Marco Teixeira, de la Fundación Getúlio Vargas, de Río de Janeiro.
Leé también: Uruguay sufre una epidemia de homicidios: crece la inseguridad vinculada al narcotráfico
El acuerdo se sumará así a la anunciada ausencia de Milei de la cumbre del Mercosur en la que Brasil deberá traspasar la presidencia pro-témpore a Paraguay y donde espera anunciar el postergado tratado comercial con la Unión Europea (UE).
¿Qué pasará ahora con el Mercosur?
Milei cumplió el mandato de alinear a su gobierno detrás de la Casa Blanca en absolutamente todos los aspectos.
“Este es un punto más en el alineamiento total con EE.UU. Por supuesto esto tiene un precio. Más allá de la afinidad ideológica, Milei reduce la maniobrabilidad en ciertos sectores. Cuando un país se alinea tanto con una gran potencia cualquier margen de maniobra o pragmatismo se agota o se reduce”, dijo Embe.
En este contexto, el Mercosur está llamado a sufrir en los próximos 30 días fuertes turbulencias.
El analista internacional Juan Negri dijo a TN que la firma de este entendimiento con Washington “es una prueba más del estancamiento del bloque regional, de la incapacidad de adaptarse a nuevas realidades y de las visiones distintas que imperan en el interior del bloque”.
“El Mercosur se encuentra en una encrucijada. Tiene una estructura que le hace muy difícil reformarse porque tienen que estar todos los socios de acuerdo. Es un bloque agujereado que entra en tensión cada vez que en la Argentina y Brasil asumen gobiernos de derecha”, afirmó.
EE.UU, comercio
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