President Joe Biden released a sudden tweet on Monday defending Kamala Harris amid mounting criticism over her failure to visit the border and after GOP Senator John Cornyn questioned who was in charge in the White House.
'When I served as Vice President, I asked to be the last person with the President before big decisions were made — and @VP is providing the same counsel to me,' Biden wrote. 'She’s the last voice in the room and never fails to speak the truth as we work to build our nation back better.'
He included a picture of the pair in discussion inside the Oval Office.
President Joe Biden tweeted Monday about his vice president, Kamala Harris, saying she 'never fails to speak the truth' and provides counsel to him. Biden's tweet came without explanation after Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas asked whether he was 'really in charge'
Biden has long told the story of securing a commitment from Barack Obama that he got to be the last person in the room for major decisions, and by most accounts he became a top advisor to the president.
His tweet came after Biden designated Harris as his point person at the border – the kind of difficult assignment he took on for Obama while helping steer the stimulus package.
The high-profile task came as a flood of unaccompanied minors continues to seek entry and the nation struggles to provide proper housing. Harris faced immediate questions about when she plans to visit the border as a demonstration of the effort. She has yet to do so.
The administration has continued to face questions about how it will deal with the crisis, after March statistics showed border agents encountered 172,000 migrants at the border - including 19,000 unaccompanied minors.
In the three weeks since Kamala Harris was named 'border czar', she hasn't visited or held a press conference
Harris has frequently been at Biden's side during media events, where Biden delivers the main administration message
President Joe Biden (R) and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Georgia, on March 19, 2021 to tour the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Former President Donald Trump repeatedly sought to cast Biden, 78, as having lost a step, repeatedly slapping the label 'sleepy Joe' on him, although in remarks at Mar-a-Lago over the weekend he reportedly mocked him as 'saintly Joe.'
Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn on Monday tweeted out a Politico story on the Biden media strategy – which has leaned heavily on formal public events and brief question-and-answer periods.
'The president is not doing cable news interviews. Tweets from his account are limited and, when they come, unimaginably conventional,' Cornyn wrote. 'The public comments are largely scripted. Biden has opted for fewer sit down interviews with mainstream outlets and reporters.'
Then he wrote in another tweet: 'Invites the question: is he really in charge?'
White House press secretary Jen Psaki blasted that comment when asked about it at Monday's press briefing.
'I can confirm that the president of the United States does not spend his time tweeting conspiracy theories, he spends his time working on behalf of the American people,' she said.
The White House has not yet said when Harris will visit the border, although she has traveled to her home state of California and held events in Illinois.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki snapped last week when a reporter asked about her decision to visit a minority owned bakery and whether she was quietly backing off while the administration pursued enforcement at the border.
'And so, while she was there, like many Americans, she got a snack. I think she’s allowed to do that,' Psaki snapped.
That hasn't kept media outlets including DailyMail.com from noting Harris' travel schedule, which also included a trip to her home state of California.
'Where is Kamala? (hint: still not at the border),' wrote former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, a potential presidential candidate.
Harris on Sunday tweeted out an image of herself in flight aboard Air Force Two. It showed her seating in a monogramed chair that said 'vice president of the United States.'
'Brighter days are ahead,' she wrote, without explanation.
SNACK TIME! Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with workers outside of the Brown Sugar Bakery in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood during a quick stop on April 06, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Vice President Harris also made a stop at a COVID-19 vaccination center during her visit
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