Former US President Barack Obama endorsed Kamala Harris for the White House on Friday. This is a major boost for her campaign against Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.
Kamala Harris, who is the first woman vice president, is now aiming to become president. President Joe Biden announced he would not run for re-election after facing pressure to quit.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s support adds momentum to Harris’ campaign. Polls show she has already narrowed the gap that existed between Trump and Biden.
Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend @KamalaHarris. 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… pic.twitter.com/0UIS0doIbA
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 26, 2024
“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” Obama said on social media platform X. “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.”
Harris had already received Biden’s backing on Sunday. She entered the election after weeks of issues surrounding 81-year-old Biden. Biden bowed out after a poor debate performance against Trump raised concerns about his mental capacity and low polling numbers.
Harris, 59, has since launched strong attacks on Trump and his “extremist” Republicans. On Thursday, she spoke to the American Federation of Teachers—the first union to endorse her bid. She warned that Trump’s Republicans are attacking “hard-won, hard-fought freedoms.”
I’m Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/6qAM32btjj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 25, 2024
Democratic Party delegates have quickly rallied behind Harris. Her campaign’s momentum has surprised Trump. He refused to schedule a debate with Harris, saying it would be “inappropriate” until she was officially named the Democratic nominee.
Harris, a former top prosecutor for California, responded on X, saying: “What happened to ‘any time, any place?'” She had previously said she was ready for a debate on September 10: “I’m ready. So let’s go.”
Teachers’ union members applauded Harris during her speech in Texas. “While you teach students about democracy and representative government, extremists attack the sacred freedom to vote. While you try to create safe and welcoming places where our children can learn, extremists attack our freedom to live safe from gun violence,” she said.
“They have the nerve to tell teachers to strap on a gun in the classroom while they refuse to pass common sense gun safety laws,” Harris added.
Harris praised her audience as “visionaries” looking to the future. She contrasted Democratic efforts to cancel student debt and invest in schools with Trump’s plans to dismantle the Education Department and cut spending.
Trump has been using extreme rhetoric against Harris. On Wednesday, he called her a “radical left lunatic” and falsely claimed she supported the “execution” of newborn babies. He also promised not to fund schools with vaccine mandates.
Trump and Harris are statistically tied in a recent New York Times/Siena College poll. The poll showed Harris narrowing the gap after finding Biden behind by six points in early July.
In the short term, Harris needs to build her own political identity. She wants to avoid being defined by Trump as connected to the unpopular Biden. Harris has begun spending over $100 million raised recently to tell her personal story and counter Republican attacks.
