Kamala Harris says she and Joe Biden are 'absolutely not' yet discussing the 2024 presidential race

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WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday she and President Joe Biden have not been discussing the 2024 election yet, and she declined to say if Biden has told her whether he will run for a second term.

"Absolutely not," Harris said when asked during a "Good Morning America" interview if the two were talking about the next presidential election.

Her comments come after a spate of media reports that she feels sidelined within the White House, a characterization that White House officials, and now Harris herself, have disputed.

CNN quoted anonymous sources expressing concerns that Harris had gotten off to a rocky start and suggesting that another Democrat might challenge her for the party's presidential nomination if Biden decides not to run in 2024.

When asked Thursday if she felt "misused or underused" in her role, Harris chuckled and said "No, I don't. I'm very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished but I am also absolutely, absolutely clear-eyed that there is a lot more to do and we're going to get it done."

Following reports of frustration in the West Wing with the vice president, Harris' communications director Ashley Etienne announced she would leave her role next month to "pursue other opportunities," a White House official told USA TODAY on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the matter before an official announcement.

The White House also pushed back strongly on the reported tension between Harris's office and the West Wing.

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Harris said one of the biggest issues on her plate – addressing the root causes of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border – was complex and would take time.

"We can't just flip a switch and make it better," she told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "The reality is that we inherited a system, an immigration system, that was deeply broken, and it's requiring us to actually put it back together in terms of creating a fair ... process that is effective and efficient."

Supply chains, inflation grip national attention

Harris also said the administration is focused on fixing supply chain problems, noting the White House is communicating with "everyone from the teamsters to Target" on that issue.

"It's real and it's rough," Harris said of the rising prices of gas and groceries across the country.

"Long term, we need to bring down the cost of living," Harris said of relieving supply chain issues. She said the bipartisan infrastructure package and Biden's social spending bill would help in that effort by addressing logistics issues and the costs of services, like child care.

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Biden has previously touted deals the administration brokered to keep the ports of Los Angeles and Baltimore operating 24/7. On Wednesday, Biden asked the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize oil and gas companies for potentially illegal price gouging.

Contributing: Courtney Subramanian

Follow Matthew Brown online @mrbrownsir.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris says she, Joe Biden are not talking about 2024 election