Kamala Harris set to make US history
Fox News' Dana Perino and Bret Baier discuss the historical significance of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' inauguration.
Vice President Kamala Harris is proving that she will play an important role in the White House as she hosts calls with foreign leaders without President Biden.
A readout from the White House published on Monday showed that Harris took a call with French President Emannuel Macron, where she "expressed her commitment to strengthening bilateral ties."
"Vice President Harris and President Macron agreed on the need for close bilateral and multilateral cooperation to address COVID-19, climate change, and support democracy at home and around the world," the statement read. "They also discussed numerous regional challenges, including those in the Middle East and Africa, and the need to confront them together."
The president himself did put a call into Macron last month, on Jan. 24.
Though Biden knows many of the world leaders he will be dealing with from his tenure as vice president in the Obama administration, he likely has not dealt extensively with Macron since he was elected in 2017.
A spokesperson for the White House did not return Fox News’ request for comment.
As noted by the Council on Foreign Relations, the vice president’s role in foreign policy has grown since the mid-20th century. Dick Cheney is credited for shaping President George W. Bush’s foreign policy priorities and Biden managed relations under President Barack Obama with several key countries.
However, conservatives have repeated concerns about Biden’s ability to carry out his four years in office as the oldest president ever elected at the age of 78.
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned in 2019 whether older individuals, such as Biden, have the mental acuity or energy necessary for a president.
Concerns about Biden aside, it has long been expected that Harris will play a central role in the administration.
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Biden has also come under scrutiny for not reaching out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured reporters that a call would take place "soon" – though she admitted that she could not pinpoint an exact date.
Psaki said Netanyahu would be the first leader in the region to receive a call from Biden, and reaffirmed that Israel is an "important ally" to the U.S.
Biden called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador the week he was inaugurated.
Harris also held a standalone call with Trudeau shortly after Biden.
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