Joe Biden on Charge Kamala Harris Showed ‘No Remorse’ Over Debate: ‘I Don’t Hold Grudges,’ She’s ‘Very Much in Contention’

Joe Biden addressed leaked remarks from his vice presidential vetting team that California Senator Kamala Harris’ chances were imperiled because she showed “no remorse” for a contentious exchange at a June debate.

The remarks, attributed to former Senator Chris Dodd, roiled the veepstakes and outraged some who saw the comments as evidence of a racist and sexist double standard.

On Thursday, Biden took questions for an hour at the 2020 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Joint Virtual Convention, where NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro began the event by asking about the veepstakes.

After Biden cagily avoided divulging any news about the selection process, CBS News national correspondent Errol Barnett asked Biden about Dodd’s comments.

Barnett told Biden that “someone on your own VP selection committee, former Senator Chris Dodd, reportedly has been critical of some in contention like Senator Kamala Harris for not being more conciliatory since she went toe to toe with you during the debates, he says that’s the reason she should be disqualified,” and asked “Is that fair?”

“No, well he didn’t say that to the press, he was talking to somebody offline and it was repeated,” Biden said, apparently confirming the quote that was relayed to Politico by an unnamed Biden donor.

“Now I don’t hold grudges, and I’ve made it really clear that I don’t hold grudges,” Biden said. “I think it was a debate, it’s as simple as that. And she’s very much in contention.”

Biden’s remarks hewed closely to notes he brought with him to a press conference following the original news story, and which were photographed by a news photographer. And perhaps tellingly, his comment that “it was a debate” is a verbatim match for what Senator Harris said during an interview with Late Show host Stephen Colbert in June.

Watch the clip above via Yahoo! News.