Kamala Harris allies are privately grumbling that Gavin Newsom's plan to debate Ron DeSantis is 'disrespectful' to the VP as they see the move as early jockeying for 2028, report says

• Several Biden and Harris advisors have reservations about a potential Newsom-DeSantis debate, per NBC News.
• Some Democratic advisors think the debate could boost DeSantis' struggling presidential campaign.
• And some of Harris' allies think Newsom would use a debate to elevate himself ahead of 2028.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom hasn't been shy about going after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the past year, and in the process has grown his profile as one of the most recognizable Democrats in the country.

While Newsom was thought to be a potential 2024 Democratic primary challenger to President Joe Biden, he poured cold water on those rumors months ago and has been one of the the president's biggest surrogates, holding fundraisers for his political ally and traveling with him throughout the state as they champion the administration's policies.

But some of Biden's political advisors are annoyed with Newsom, according to NBC News, as the governor is set to debate DeSantis on Fox News in a event to be moderated by conservative anchor Sean Hannity.

And the frustration extends to allies of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the news outlet.

Harris, who would be a natural successor to Biden in the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, would likely face a crowded field of ambitious politicians looking to win the party nomination given her early stumbles as vice president.

Several of Biden's advisors feel as though the debate might give the impression that there's a contested primary, which could cause issues for the party coalescing around the president next year given that some Democrats have expressed reservations about nominating him for a second term.

Some Biden advisors also feel the debate could boost DeSantis, whose presidential campaign has so far failed to erode former President Donald Trump's dominance in the GOP primary, per NBC News. However, some advisors feel as though the debate won't affect the Biden campaign and might actually allow Democrats to use one of their younger leaders to advance the party's policies.

Still, Harris' allies see the debate as Newsom's attempt to leap ahead of his fellow Golden State counterpart in the eyes of Democratic voters looking ahead to the 2028 presidential race, according to NBC News.

An outside advisor to Harris told the outlet that Newsom's actions were "disrespectful."

"Joe Biden is running with Kamala Harris. That's the Democratic ticket," the outside advisor said.

The debate might not happen, as the two sides had gone back-and-forth over the terms of the event.

Harris declined a debate invitation from DeSantis after she criticized him over new standards adopted by the Florida Department of Education regarding the teaching of slavery in public schools.

But Biden could benefit from the governor of the largest state in the country defending his record as the president still struggles to make headway with convincing most Americans that his economic policies have been working.

In a recent poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Biden had a 42% approval rating overall, but had a 36% approval rating when it came to his handling of the economy.

A Biden advisor who spoke to NBC News praised Newsom over his strong support of the president's reelection bid and didn't have major reservations about the governor potentially debating DeSantis.

"What he's doing here is appropriate for a surrogate. It would not be appropriate for the president or the vice president," the advisor said.

"We're in close touch with him. This is the kind of thing we want surrogates to do," the advisor added.

Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz told NBC News that the campaign didn't have an issue with the debate.

"Governor Newsom is a strong partner and surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign," Munoz wrote in a text message. "We coordinate closely on campaigning, whether it's fundraising or media. When he brought the debate idea to us, we endorsed it."