Synopsis
Amateur Hour: Kamala Harris in the White House by Charlie Spiering is a critical and investigative biography that traces Vice President Kamala Harris’s rapid ascent to the second-highest office in the United States, framing her journey as marked by ambition, opportunism, and perceived incompetence. Written by a veteran political journalist with experience at the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News, the book aims to uncover what Spiering describes as the “real Kamala Harris,” delving into her political career from her early days as a San Francisco prosecutor to her role as Vice President under President Joe Biden. Published in January 2024, the narrative draws on published news sources, personal accounts, and exclusive reporting to argue that Harris’s rise was less a product of merit and more a result of strategic alliances and political maneuvering, particularly her early relationship with influential San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. Spiering portrays Harris as a figure who fast-tracked her way onto the national stage, only to falter under scrutiny, losing the confidence of both her political base and the President.
The book begins with Harris’s childhood in Berkeley, California, which Spiering describes as an upbringing in an educational elite environment rather than the middle-class background she has often claimed. It follows her early career as a prosecutor, highlighting her controversial tenure in California, where she gained attention through her relationship with Willie Brown, a powerful figure who helped elevate her profile. Spiering details her progression to California Attorney General and then to the U.S. Senate, where she earned a reputation as a fiery interrogator during hearings, though he argues her style was more theatrical than substantive. Her 2020 presidential campaign is depicted as a disorganized failure, collapsing before the Iowa caucuses due to lack of voter support and internal chaos. Despite this, Harris was selected as Biden’s running mate, a decision Spiering attributes to pressure from Democratic advisors and former President Barack Obama, despite resistance from Biden’s family, particularly First Lady Jill Biden, who harbored resentment over Harris’s primary attacks on Biden’s record.
Spiering’s account of Harris’s vice presidency is particularly critical, painting her as unprepared for the role and ineffective in addressing major issues assigned to her, such as immigration, voting rights, broadband access, racial inequality, and artificial intelligence. He argues that her tenure has been marked by gaffes, confusing public statements, and a failure to produce tangible results, earning her a reputation for “word salads” and alienating both the Biden administration and her political base. The book details tensions with Biden, including moments where Harris reportedly showed impatience and disdain for the President, contributing to an icy relationship with both him and Jill Biden. Spiering suggests that Biden’s decision to run for a second term was partly driven by a belief that Harris was not capable of succeeding him, a sentiment echoed by Democratic insiders who reportedly view her as a liability.
The narrative is not without controversy, as Spiering’s conservative bias is evident in his sharp critiques and occasionally sensational language, with some reviewers noting that his quips undermine the book’s potential for scholarly credibility. He includes Harris’s own quotes to illustrate her perceived incoherence, though some readers find these selectively curated to fit his narrative. While the book offers new insights, such as details about the strained Biden-Harris dynamic, it has been criticized for lacking fresh revelations for those already familiar with Harris’s career, with one factual error noted about the Rodney King case. Nonetheless, Spiering’s supporters, including conservative commentators like Tucker Carlson and Mollie Hemingway, praise the book as a revealing exposé of Harris’s “hilarious” and “incompetent” path to power, arguing it highlights the dangers of her proximity to the presidency. Amateur Hour is a polarizing read, appealing to those skeptical of Harris while drawing criticism from her supporters for its overt bias and lack of nuance.