Ever since her husband's ouster from his re-election bid this past summer, the rumor mill has been rife with suggestions of animosity held by first lady Jill Biden toward Vice President Kamala Harris.

Remarks made by Mrs. Biden at a Wednesday event at the White House have done little to tamp down that speculation, with her comments interpreted by some as a possible jab at the failed Democratic Party presidential hopeful, as the New York Post reports.

Mrs. Biden's holiday “joy”

Speaking at a conference centered on women's health research, Mrs. Biden implored attendees to take time and enjoy the spirit of the holidays.

Referencing the seasonal décor installed at the White House, the first lady reminded everyone to “feel, I don't know, a little, a sense of joy.”

She went on, “Because I think we all need like this, you know, we all need to feel joy now.”

Swiftly making the mental connection between her comment and the oft-repeated, unofficial theme of Harris' ill-fated presidential campaign, the first lady followed-up with a quip that drew laughter from those in the audience.

“You're all reading into that!” Mrs. Biden jocularly observed, attempting, perhaps, to disclaim any attempt at a jab toward the VP.

Rumors of tension persist

Suggestions of ill will between the Bidens -- particularly Jill Biden -- and Kamala Harris in the wake of the president's exit from the top of the Democratic Party ticket have shown no signs of abating, particularly after the VP went down to defeat in November at the hands of Donald Trump.

The few public appearances at which both women were present have been characterized by a distinct degree of frostiness that has made its way into media accounts.

As the Post noted separately, just days ago, an awkward moment unfolded in plain view when Joe and Jill Biden were joined by Kamala Harris and husband Doug Emhoff at the Kennedy Center Honors.

Though Harris applauded enthusiastically for the Bidens as they entered the venue, the president and first lady did not reciprocate that warmth, failing to greet or even acknowledge the VP and her spouse, despite their close physical proximity.

A well-known X account known as “End Wokeness” mused, “Jill and Joe Biden are refusing to even look at Kamala Harris tonight,” suggesting lingering bitterness about the VP's ascent to the 2024 ticket and her subsequent failure to secure a victory.

Altered allegiances?

Speculation about the animosity between the Bidens and Harris reached such a crescendo this fall that the first lady's decision to wear a vivid red suit on Election Day was seen by some as a not-so-subtle hint that she may have defected from her party to vote for the VP's Republican rival, as Fox News noted at the time.

Adding fuel to that fire was the warm White House welcome the Biden's extended to Trump not long after his electoral triumph and, more recently, the very amiable, captured-on-camera chat between Mrs. Biden and the president-elect at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, one which appeared to be so friendly that one X user wistfully mused, “I just want to find someone that looks at me the way Jill Biden looks at Trump.”