Obama lauds Biden’s public service, doesn’t endorse Kamala Harris as replacement
Former President Barack Obama stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee after President Joe Biden announced he was no longer seeking reelection.
Obama hailed Biden, his running mate in the 2008 and 2012 elections, for his decades-long career in politics after he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsement of Harris to succeed him as the party’s nominee.
“Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts,” Obama wrote in a 549-word statement on Medium on Sunday evening.
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The 44th president added: “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August.”
“I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond,” he predicted. “For now, Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on.”
The Democratic National Convention will be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, Illinois.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris wrote in a multi-post thread on X Sunday evening. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. If you’re with me, add a donation right now. On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country.”
I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. If you’re with me, add a donation right now.https://t.co/xpPDkCRhoZ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 21, 2024
For their part, Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have said they had nothing to do with The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. The conservative think-tank’s initiative was intended to serve as a guide for a conservative administration.
“The Heritage Foundation does a lot of good work. It does a lot of things that I disagree with, a lot of things that I agree with,” Vance recently told “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker. “I guarantee there are things that Trump likes and dislikes about that 900-page document. But he is the person who will determine the agenda into the next administration.”
Well-known Democrat leaders who quickly endorsed Harris as the party’s presidential nominee include: Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton, Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Mark Warner, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Reps. James Clyburn, D-S.C., Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., Jared Huffman, D-Calif., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.
Other Democrats who, like Obama, have yet to endorse Harris as their presidential nominee include former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
