Vice President Kamala Harris's past is squarely in the spotlight now that she's the unofficial official Democratic presidential nominee in the wake of President Joe Biden bowing out of the race. 

With her sudden (and mostly fake) rise in popularity within the media, Congress, and Democrat voters, some are digging into her past with former San Fransisco mayor Willie Brown.

In a recent puff piece written by a Politico columnist about Brown and Harris's relationship, it was noted that Brown, now 90, often repeats a joke along the lines of saying if Harris becomes the president, "she'll deport my a**."

Politico senior political columnist Jonathan Martin wrote a piece about his conversation with Brown and how life has been since Harris was boosted to the top of the Democratic ticket.

What's going on?

Brown reportedly had a new version of the line when Marine called him.

"She may send me back to Mineola,” Brown said, pausing before delivering the punchline. "Sending me back to Texas would be a deportment!"

Martin wrote:

It was classic Willie.

Yet it also reflected his consciousness of time and place, how in the winter of his life he’s thinking of his beginnings: the small, East Texas town he left for California — as so many Black Texans and Louisianans did in the 20th Century — in search of opportunity and fulfillment. He found both and then some.

Brown has reportedly been working behind the scenes to bring together Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who many believed would be the most logical and popular Democrat to replace Biden in the 2024 presidential race.

Martin added:

That Brown is attempting to unite Harris and Newsom in full harmony after one of the most historic months in modern American politics is a reminder that we are living in the world Willie made.

Brown reportedly told Martin that he struck a deal with Newsom a long time ago, saying, "He had agreed a long time ago that under no circumstance would he ever challenge Kamala."

Brown wants Harris in now

The former mayor, who had a relationship with a young Kamala Harris when he was 60, giving her lucrative positions at the time, made headlines last week after saying that he believes President Biden should simply resign from the presidency and make Harris the president right now.

Brown argues that it would be easier for Harris to run against Trump as the sitting president instead of a Democratic nominee.

Plenty of Democrats agree with that strategy. Trump is still the odds-on favorite to win in November, according to many forecasts.

Only time will tell if Brown gets his wish, but it wouldn't be surprising to watch Democrats march Biden out of office early for that reason alone.