But there were different, heightened expectations for Harris, chiefly because of her groundbreaking election. No one like her — the first woman, first Black person, first Asian American elected vice president — has ever moved through Washington’s uppermost reaches. Her every move would be unprecedented and surely, it seemed, merit special notice and great amounts of news coverage.

But that one cardinal rule — to never purposely overshadow the president, or seem eager to take his place — doesn’t yield to history or celebrity. That’s especially true when the chief executive is a brittle 78-year-old.

So ever since taking office, Harris has made humility a top item on her public-facing agenda, alongside the assignments — voting rights, space exploration, women in the workforce, immigration from Central America, and more — the president has given her. It’s no surprise. Caution has long been a hallmark of Harris’ political career, and the subservient nature of the vice presidency, as well as the scrutiny of Biden loyalists sensitive to the merest hint of personal ambition, reinforce that inclination.