Jill Biden's Age Gap With Kamala Harris May Be Igniter Of Their Feud

It's no secret that Jill Biden and Kamala Harris aren't besties — especially following Joe Biden's resignation from the 2024 United States presidential election. It was widely rumored that Jill was furious over the decision and subtly set fire to the feuding rumors via her controversial all-red outfits. Then, in November, the feuding rumors were seemingly confirmed in an icy video captured during a Veterans Day ceremony. 

To be fair, however, Jill and Harris' beef reportedly began years ago — long before Joe basically handed his Democratic nomination over to Harris. As you may recall, things got really heated between Joe and Harris in 2019 during a Democratic presidential primary debate when Harris called Joe out for his past opposition to federal busing. As one can imagine, Jill was not too pleased with the incident. In 2021, Politico reported that she had a few choice words for Harris. "With what he cares about, what he fights for, what he's committed to, you get up there and call him a racist without basis?" she said during a phone call. "Go f**k yourself."

Still, all political differences aside, one expert believes that it's actually the age gap between the two women that lit the match to their flaming feud. "A possible reason why Biden and Harris butted heads could be due to the fact that they are from different generations," New York City neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind Dr. Sanam Hafeez exclusively told us here at Nicki Swift.

According to Dr. Sanam Hafeez, who works as a neuropsychologist and the Director of Comprehend the Mind, it's entirely possible that Jill Biden and Kamala Harris were never destined to get along given their age difference. As you may recall, Jill Biden is a whopping 13 years older than Harris. "There are many factors that shape the way people form their personal values, communicate, interact, and develop their world views. These factors can differ from generation to generation based on cultural norms, world events, and the political climate each generation experiences, especially during formative years," she told us. "Biden and Harris may not have seen eye to eye on a variety of issues, and their differing communication styles may have contributed to their strained relationship while in office together."

While Jill Biden is considered a Baby Boomer, being born in 1951, Kamala Harris proudly considers herself a Gen Xer. Dr. Hafeez noted that alone could cause some serious communication issues. "Generational values and social expectations develop through exposure to the cultural and economic conditions and technological advancements during their formative years." She added, "While Baby Boomers often prefer direct personal interactions face-to-face, Gen Z individuals show more comfort and ease with digital communications for expressing their identities. The lack of generational context awareness causes misunderstandings and perceived social distance when people make assumptions based on their frameworks." 

According to Dr. Hafeez, the trick to getting along with someone with whom you share a significant age gap is to "invite collaboration, not competition." Dr. Hafeez advised to "Invite the other person into decisions or ideas, valuing what they bring. Collaboration flattens hierarchy and highlights shared purpose." On the other hand, Dr. Hafeez stressed that it was also important not to be a know-it-all. "Trying to act more experienced than you are or pretending you're hip to trends you don't understand usually backfires. Honesty creates room for mutual learning, and admitting gaps in your knowledge invites connection."