House Republicans are already sharpening their attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris as public discussions swell over whether she will replace President Biden at the top of Democrats' 2024 ticket.
GOP lawmakers — in both safe red seats and swing districts being targeted by the left — dismissed Harris as a political threat to their chances in November, arguing she's still tied to the same progressive Biden policies they believe are unpopular with voters.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., who served as longtime chair of the New York Republican Party before coming to Congress, told Fox News Digital, "Kamala Harris is just as responsible for this administration's failures, but she's more incompetent."
"She will make no difference to the outcome. President Trump will be our 47th," he said.
A swing-seat Republican who asked not to be named told Fox News Digital they were skeptical Harris would do better on the debate stage than Biden.
"I would say she's the weakest part of the ticket right now, as bad as Biden is," that GOP lawmaker said.
"Whether it's Joe Biden or [Harris] at the top of the ticket, they'll have to defend their abysmal, tax-and-spend record," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla. "We're already seeing significant Republican advantages across the board in swing states, especially increase in support from Hispanic voters."
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., a Trump ally from a deep red district, told Fox News Digital that Biden and Harris "both own the same disastrous policies."
It comes as conversations swirl around Harris as one of the most likely successors to Biden if he chooses to withdraw from the race ahead of his November rematch with former President Trump.
Vice President Harris would stand to inherit the Biden-Harris campaign's massive war chest if President Biden withdraws from the race. (Tierney L. Cross)
Biden and his campaign have insisted he will not bow out of the race, but his weak performance in last month's presidential debate has left many on the left wondering if he's the best positioned candidate to beat Trump. Multiple polls have shown Biden modestly trailing Trump since the debate aired.
Harris has maintained that she is standing by Biden on multiple occasions when asked about the speculation by reporters.
But if she were to take over, Harris would be the only Democratic candidate who could inherit the $240 million Biden-Harris campaign war chest.
The House GOP campaign arm, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), is also aiming its fire at Harris as well, in a telling sign that it sees her as the next top Democratic target.
A new advertisement released by the NRCC this week cast Harris as Biden's "enabler-in-chief" and hits her for her role as Biden's "border czar."
A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) told Axios
of the ad, "Republicans are fooling themselves if they think the
American public will blame anyone besides Donald Trump and his feckless
band of Republican extremists and phony moderates who killed a
bipartisan border deal."
Questions about President Biden's viability as a candidate grew after the debate with former President Trump. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A recent CNN/SSRS poll shows Harris performing slightly better than Biden in a matchup against Trump.
But when asked about her impact on the November races, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn. — a past NRCC chair — would not speak to the vice president specifically, though he was confident in the GOP's chances to secure the White House.
"It doesn't matter which incompetent failure Democrats have on the ballot in November — voters are ready to abandon the sinking ship that is the Biden-Harris administration," Emmer said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Biden campaign and to Harris' office for comment.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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