US Vice President Kamala Harris paid tribute to Joe Biden in her first speech since the president announced he was abandoning his re-election bid.
In a short address in front of the White House, Harris didn’t mention her own hopes of taking over as Democratic nominee for the November 5 election.
But she spoke about her friendship with Biden’s beloved son Beau, who served as attorney general for Delaware while she held the same position in California.
Harris said: ‘The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities that I have seen every day in our president.
‘His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart and his deep love for our country.’
Listing Biden’s accomplishments in his single term as president, she described them as ‘unmatched in modern history’ – even when compared to leaders who served two terms.
She saved her references to the presidential race for a post on social media site X, in which she wrote: ‘It’s the first full day of our campaign, so I’m heading up to Wilmington, DE later to say “hello” to our staff in HQ.
‘One day down. 105 to go. Together, we’re going to win this.’
Harris, who previously ran for the top office in 2019 before cutting her candidacy short, has suddenly found herself frontrunner to take on Donald Trump in his year’s presidential election.
Minutes after Biden made the historic announcement that he would not be seeking a second term yesterday, he said he was endorsing his vice president to take his place in the race.
Since then, several other top Democrats have lent their support to her bid, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Other figures in the party, such as former President Barack Obama, ex-House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have avoided making an explicit endorsement.
Some hope the Democrats can run a competitive process to allow them to demonstrate the strengths of several candidates.
But in the day since Biden’s announcement, it has grown increasingly unlikely that any challenger could match Harris’s clout.
Her remarks today were delivered at an event marking the achievements of the National College Athletic Association.
Young sportspeople from around the country – some of whom will be travelling to the Olympics next month – danced down the steps of the White House as a band played the classic Weather Report song Birdland.
The president was also due to be present, but he continues to recover from Covid at his holiday home in Delaware.
Harris said he is ‘feeling much better and recovering fast, and he looks forward to getting back on the road’.
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