Allies of Vice President Kamala Harris are reportedly upset over California governor Gavin Newsom's (D.) plan to debate Florida governor Ron DeSantis (R.), calling it "disrespectful."
Insiders in the Biden administration told NBC News they're worried that the debate, which has no set date and would be moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity, would detract from the Biden reelection campaign and Harris's future political career.
"It's disrespectful," an adviser to Harris told the outlet. "Joe Biden is running with Kamala Harris. That's the Democratic ticket."
Sources said Newsom may be positioning himself for a 2028 presidential run, threatening Harris's presidential aspirations.
Some on the Biden campaign, however, are publicly supporting the idea. Kevin Munoz, a spokesman for Biden's reelection team, said the campaign is on board with the debate.
"Governor Newsom is a strong partner and surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign," Munoz told NBC News. "We coordinate closely on campaigning, whether it's fundraising or media. When he brought the debate idea to us, we endorsed it."
The story comes after Harris earlier this month rejected an invitation from DeSantis to discuss Florida's controversial black history curriculum.