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Biden 'had to choose' Harris as VP — here's who he actually 'wanted': report

Nypost · · 384 words · By Fox News
Political Appointments Racial Representation
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What to know about Political Appointments

Biden ‘had to choose’ Harris as VP — but he had someone else he actually ‘wanted’: report Former President Joe Biden reportedly wanted Michigan Gov.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 2
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Biden ‘had to choose’ Harris as VP — but he had someone else he actually ‘wanted’: report Former President Joe Biden reportedly wanted Michigan Gov.

Why it matters

Gretchen Whitmer to be his vice president but “had to choose” former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Common ground

An Atlantic article profiled the Democratic governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate on Sunday and reported how Biden considered Whitmer for his running mate in 2020, particularly after her pushback against President Trump.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Buried Lede, Oversimplification: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/14/us-news/biden-wanted-gretchen-whitmer-as-vp-but-ha…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Buried Lede 70% confidence
Placing the most newsworthy information deep in the article to minimize its impact.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing buried lede helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Oversimplification 60% confidence
Reducing a complex issue to a simplistic framing that distorts understanding.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing oversimplification helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

help Insufficient Evidence 7
check_circle Corroborated 3
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Claim 1: “Whitmer was vetted for vice president by summer 2020”
CORROBORATED
Three web search results confirm Whitmer was vetted by summer 2020, despite her eventual decline of the role. Wikipedia entries provide background on her political career.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrests of 13 men suspected of orchestrating a domestic terror plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michiga…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_Whitmer_kidnapping_pl…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joe Biden was 78 years, 2 months of age when he took office as the president of the United States on January 20, 2021. At the time, he became both the oldest person to be inaugurated as U.S. president…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_and_health_concerns_about_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gretchen Esther Whitmer (; born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A Democrat, she served in the Michigan House of Representativ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_Whitmer
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “A former adviser to both Biden and Harris indicated that the claim about needing a Black running mate carried some weight”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute the claim about the adviser's statement on the Black running mate narrative.
help
Claim 3: “Fox News Digital contacted the offices of Biden and Whitmer for comment on the report”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute Fox News Digital contacting Biden and Whitmer offices.
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Claim 4: “The Atlantic reported that Biden considered Whitmer for his running mate in 2020, particularly after her pushback against President Trump”
CORROBORATED
The Atlantic and other web search results explicitly state Biden considered Whitmer after her opposition to Trump. Cross-referenced with Wikipedia's 2020 election context.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president for a term of four years. In the 2024 elections, then-former preside…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_United_States_presidentia…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joe Biden was 78 years, 2 months of age when he took office as the president of the United States on January 20, 2021. At the time, he became both the oldest person to be inaugurated as U.S. president…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_and_health_concerns_about_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, announced his candidacy for re-election for a second presidential term on April 25, 2023, confirming that Vice President Kamala Harris would remain …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden_2024_presidential_ca…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 5: “Whitmer was willing to accept the vice presidential role if Biden had formally offered it to her”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute the claim about Whitmer's conditional acceptance.
help
Claim 6: “Whitmer continued to campaign for Biden and supported him until he withdrew from the 2024 election”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute Whitmer's continued support for Biden post-2024 withdrawal.
help
Claim 7: “A former senior staffer for Whitmer stated that the moment called for a black running mate, influencing Biden's choice of Harris”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute the claim about Whitmer's staffer influencing Biden's choice.
help
Claim 8: “Whitmer was the first candidate to meet in person with Biden in August 2020 during his vice presidential vetting process”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute Whitmer being the first in-person candidate with Biden in August 2020.
help
Claim 9: “Whitmer confirmed she underwent the vice presidential vetting process with Biden in 2020 and would have accepted the role if offered”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence found in web search, cross-references, or Wikipedia to support or refute Whitmer confirming her vetting process and conditional acceptance.
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Claim 10: “Biden ‘had to choose’ Harris as VP — but he had someone else he actually ‘wanted’: report”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The New York Times, The Atlantic, and a book) confirm Biden considered Whitmer over Harris for VP in 2020. Web search results and Wikipedia entries provide contextual support.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president for a term of four years. In the 2024 elections, then-former preside…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2028_United_States_presidentia…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gretchen Esther Whitmer (; born August 23, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 49th governor of Michigan since 2019. A Democrat, she served in the Michigan House of Representativ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_Whitmer
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kamala Harris, the 49th vice president of the United States, announced her 2024 campaign for president on July 21, 2024. On that date, incumbent president Joe Biden withdrew his re-election campaign a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamala_Harris_2024_presidentia…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.