When Joe Biden phoned Kamala Harris to tell her that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, he said he was just minutes away from announcing his decision to the world. It was a Sunday afternoon in late July — not yet a full month since a wan, feeble Biden had delivered a listless debate performance against a red-faced, fulminating Donald Trump. For more than three weeks, Biden had been bucking demands to drop out, and Harris assumed he was going to persevere. But then he came down with COVID-19 and she got the call.

Harris was initially bewildered by Biden’s sudden switch, including his determination to rush out an announcement. “ Give me a bit more time ,” she thought to herself. She was wearing sweats and had just served her grandnieces some pancakes. But in another sense

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