Kamala Takes a Swipe at Biden as He Battles Prostate Cancer — Says He Made a 'Big Mistake' Not Inviting Elon to a 2021 EV Event

As former US President Joe Biden undergoes treatment for prostate cancer, his former second-in-command, Kamala Harris, is publicly criticising key decisions from their time in the White House.

The former vice president and 2024 presidential candidate has called out the administration for what she describes as a 'big mistake' involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Why Snubbing Elon Musk Was a 'Big Mistake'

Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Washington on 14 October, Harris shared sharp criticism of her former boss. While promoting her new memoir, 107 Days, she told Fortune Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell that sidelining Musk from a 2021 electric vehicle (EV) event was a significant error.

'I write in the book that I thought it was a big mistake to not invite Elon Musk when we did a big EV event,' Harris stated. 'I mean here he is, the major American manufacturer of extraordinary innovation in this space'.

How Misplaced Priorities Left Voters Feeling Abandoned

Harris's critique did not stop with the EV event. She argued that the administration's early legislative priorities were misplaced, leaving the immediate needs of the public unaddressed.

She cited the focus on the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act as examples of this misstep. Harris warned that voters felt abandoned as issues like rising inflation, child care, and paid leave were put on the back burner.

'When we made the decision to as an administration to put the infrastructure and CHIPS Act first, I actually think that was a mistake.' said Harris. 'Very important work, no question, but we did that before putting the immediate needs ahead of anything else.'

'If we can't meet the basic needs of the people, there will be this backlash, which is going to resonate and sound like it is about "blame the rich,"' she continued. 'It's about, "we need help for our basic needs, and please prioritise those needs."'

A Look Back at the Controversial 2021 EV Summit

The event in question took place in August 2021, when the Biden administration hosted executives from General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler's parent company, Stellantis. The summit was organised to promote the goal of making half of all new cars sold in the US electric by 2030.

Despite Tesla's dominance in the EV market, the company was notably absent.

At the time, then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki suggested the invitation was extended to the three largest unionised manufacturers. Musk reacted on X, formerly Twitter, saying, 'Yeah seems odd that Tesla wasn't invited.' He later described the administration as 'not the friendliest' and 'controlled by unions'.

Criticism That Comes at a Difficult Personal Time for Biden

The timing of Harris's comments is particularly striking, as Biden is currently battling prostate cancer. A recent report detailed his first public appearance since beginning a five-week course of radiation therapy.

The former president was seen attending mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, his regular Roman Catholic church in Delaware. While greeting fellow parishioners, a scar above his right eye from a previous skin cancer surgery was visible.