Barack and Michelle Obama officially endorse Kamala Harris for president
Former President Barack Obama, one of the most prominent holdouts among Democratic Party luminaries, and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, have officially given Vice President Kamala Harris their endorsement for the presidency.
Obama, 62, who had at least one publicly known call with Harris on Sunday, lavished praise on her, saying she has the “vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands.”
“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris,” the former POTUS wrote on X Friday.
“We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support. At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you’ll join us.”
Other party leaders had been quick to endorse Harris. President Biden backed her immediately after announcing his plans to drop out of the 2024 race on July 21.
Top Democrats including Bill and Hillary Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) all gave her their official stamp of approval as well.
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But Obama, who has a history of keeping his powder dry on endorsements in presidential races, took his time to back Harris.
The hesitance was partly motivated by a desire not to overshadow Biden’s moment, including his primetime address Wednesday about his historic decision to drop out of the race, NBC reported.
“Joe Biden has stayed true to these words again and again over a lifetime of service to the American people. Thank you, @POTUS,” Obama wrote on X after Biden’s address.
Additionally, individuals familiar with Obama’s reasoning believed he also delayed his endorsement in a bid to help buoy her momentum, per the report.
The newly rebranded Harris for President campaign claims to have hauled in over $100 million between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. He was seemingly keen on trying to prolong her political honeymoon.
Back in the 2020 and 2016 election cycles, Obama held off until it was clear that Biden and Hillary Clinton would win their respective primaries before handing down his endorsement.
Back then, Obama told confidants that he didn’t “want to thumb the scale,” according to the New York Times.
Obama had also been quiet in public about the growing Democratic mutiny against Biden that unfolded after his debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month.
He had said in a statement that “bad debate nights happen” and argued that the “election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”
After Biden made the historically unprecedented decision to drop out of the race, Obama commended his former No. 2 and expressed confidence that a “process” to find a successor would ensue.
“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,” he wrote in a Medium post that made no mention of Harris.
On Wednesday, the Democratic National Committee’s rules panel voted to virtually coronate their nominee ahead of next month’s convention.
That means Harris will likely have to announce her VP pick as soon as the end of the first week in August.
Harris’ team has been scrambling to vet potential contenders. Election night is just over three months away.
