Kamala Harris heads to Ohio after holding presidential power for 85 minutes
It was fun, but it was short-lived.
After becoming the first female to hold the presidency, Kamala Harris was able to resume her normal duties and board Air Force Two to go to Ohio.
While President Biden underwent a colonoscopy at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, the president temporarily transferred his powers.
According to reports from the White House and his doctors, the president was off-duty between 10:10 AM and 11:35 AM.
Prior to undergoing the procedure, Biden informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate President pro tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that he would be under sedation and would “transfer temporarily the powers and duties of the office of President of the United States to the Vice President during the brief period of the procedure and recovery” in accordance with the 25th Amendment.
The appointment was not originally listed on Biden’s Friday schedule and was announced fewer than three hours before the president arrived at the hospital.
During Friday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki had few details about how Harris spent her 85 minutes as acting president, pointing reporters to the vice president’s office for additional information.
“I will note that, you know, the President, when he selected her to be his running mate, obviously he knew he was making history — was making history that was long overdue, in our view,” Psaki said, “and part of that was selecting someone who would serve by your side as your partner, but also step in if you were — if there was a reason to, and that includes the application of the 25th Amendment as was done this morning.”
Harris was scheduled to give remarks in Columbus, Ohio, later Friday as part of the administration’s nationwide push to promote the recently-enacted $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure legislation.