Topline
Former President Barack Obama is expected to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president soon, multiple outlets reported, landing the Democratic candidate one of her biggest endorsements since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race—though Obama has remained quiet about the race so far.
Major Democrats have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, though former President Barack Obama has … [+]
Key Facts
Harris and Obama—whose potential endorsement is seen as a major sign of support among Democrats—have been in touch, an unnamed source told CNN, adding his endorsement is expected shortly.
While some Democrats and donors quickly endorsed Harris following Biden’s departure from the race on Sunday, Obama did not mention the vice president once in a statement following Biden’s announcement, instead lauding his former running mate as “one of America’s most consequential presidents” and a “dear friend and partner.”
One reason for the delayed endorsement could be that Obama did not want to make any public comment before Biden’s Oval Office address Wednesday night, though in recent days, Obama has praised the vice president, sources familiar with the matter told NBC News, with one of those sources saying Obama believes Harris is “off to a great start.”
Another source told NBC News Obama and Harris wanted the endorsement to stand on its own, following a string of endorsements from major Democrats, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this week.
Obama could also wait until Harris was officially named the Democratic nominee, The New York Times reported earlier this week, citing a source close to Obama who said the former president believes his role is to “unite the party once we have a nominee” and he doesn’t want to be perceived as controlling the party behind the scenes.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you’ll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
Contra
Before Biden dropped out of the race, Obama broke with a growing list of prominent Democrats in publicly sticking by Biden, even as concerns mounted over the 81-year-old president’s advanced age and mental acuity following his poor debate performance late last month. Obama doubled down on his support for Biden in a June 28 post on X, saying, “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know” (Biden had initially blamed his debate performance on a cold and exhaustive travel, reiterating the line that the debate was simply a bad night). But Obama’s support for Biden has not been completely unwavering, even in the past month, with a Politico report indicating Obama did not try to stop actor and Democratic donor George Clooney from calling on Biden to drop out of the race earlier this month. Some Obama staffers also called on Biden to drop out, leading Biden to reportedly grow frustrated with Obama and believe his former boss was undermining him behind the scenes—though no evidence has emerged that Obama tried to sway the party away from Biden. The two are close, but they have a complicated and sometimes tense relationship: Biden reportedly regrets listening to Obama in 2016 when he urged him not to run for president, instead backing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
What To Watch For
Harris could officially become the party nominee at the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled for Aug. 19-Aug. 22 in Chicago, though the vice president could land the nomination even sooner, following a rules change the Democratic National Convention’s rules panel approved on Wednesday. With that rules change—which gives Democrats until Saturday to declare their candidacies—Harris could become the nominee as early as Aug. 1.
Key Background
Biden’s performance at CNN’s presidential debate—when he appeared to lose his train of thought and spoke in a whispery, hoarse voice—ignited a growing call from Democratic lawmakers, donors and pundits for Biden to end his re-election campaign. Many of those Democrats urged him to “ pass the torch,” with some directly supporting Harris, despite her poor popularity and polls showing her losing to Trump in key swing states. As those calls continued to add up, Biden announced on Sunday he would end his campaign, and quickly endorsed Harris. In the days that followed, Harris landed major endorsements and pulled off a record setting first day of fundraising, raising $81 million in 24 hours.
Further Reading
“>
