Biden called Harris a 'work in progress' in the difficult early days of his presidency, new book says

• Joe Biden said early in his presidency that Kamala Harris was a "work in progress," according to a new book.
• "Fight of His Life," by Chris Whipple, chronicles the first two years of the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden described Vice President Kamala Harris as a "work in progress" in the difficult early months of his presidency, according to extracts from a new book, published in Politico.

"Fight of his Life," by journalist Chris Whipple, chronicles the first two years of Biden's presidency and details tensions between the president and his vice.

Biden made the "work in progress" remark about Harris to a close friend, according to the book.

It says the president was annoyed when told that Harris' husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, had complained about his wife's policy assignments.

A senior White House advisor quoted in the book says Harris' inner circle "didn't serve her well in the presidential campaign — and they are ill-serving her now."

It's not the first time reports have emerged of tension between Biden and Harris. Earlier in 2022, Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns detailed disputes between the camps in their book "This Will Not Pass".

Harris was at one point a contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and clashed with Biden during primary debates over his record on race. Biden later named Harris as his running mate.

After the Democratic election victory in 2020, Harris was handed responsibility for core Biden policy areas, including migration from the southern US border and voting rights. She faced criticism amid faltering or slow progress on both issues.

Whipple told Politico that the Biden administration faced major setbacks in its first year but turned things around in its second year, citing the US response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the renewed Build Back Better bill.