Barack Obama has ended days of speculation by endorsing Kamala Harris for president, saying that he and his wife Michelle are “going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November.”
The former president made the announcement via a post on X in which he said: “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.
“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.”
The post was accompanied by a 55-second video showing Barack and Michelle Obama speaking to Harris on the phone and offering her their support.
In the clip, Michelle said: “I can’t have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala: I am proud of you. This is going to be historic.”
Barack then added: “We called to say Michelle and I couldn’t be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office.”
In response, Harris said, “Michelle, Barack, this means so much to me. I am looking forward to doing this with the two of you, Doug and I both, and getting out there, being on the road.
“But most of all I just want to tell you that the words you have spoken and the friendship that you have given over all these years mean more than I can express.”
Newsweek reached out to representatives of Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump‘s 2024 presidential campaign for comment via email on Friday outside of usual office hours.
In a separate post on X, Harris welcomed the endorsement and shared the same video.
She wrote: “It means so much to have your endorsements, Michelle Obama and Barack Obama. Let’s get to work.”
In a post on his Truth Social website on Thursday, Trump said that Obama views Harris as “a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump” and, as a result, said he won’t schedule any presidential debates against her.
Using the former president’s full name, Trump said: “There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party – namely Barack Hussein Obama – that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’ Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds.”
Obama was noticeably missing from the list of prominent Democrats, including Democratic Congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who endorsed Harris shortly after Biden’s announcement on Sunday.
However, on Thursday, The New York Times said Obama had been in close contact with Harris since she emerged as the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, had been impressed by her campaign’s launch, and planned to offer his endorsement.
According to the Associated Press, Obama had been among the prominent Democrats privately questioning whether Joe Biden should remain in the 2024 election earlier this month before the president announced he was pulling out.
After Biden announced he was dropping out on Sunday, Obama said in a statement: “Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress…
“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.”
Reacting to Obama’s endorsement on X, Brian Tyler Cohen, a progressive YouTuber and MSNBC contributor, said: “And there it is. Kamala gets the Obama endorsement. We’re not going back.”
Actor Jeffrey Wright also shared the Obama’s video and said: “In chess, this is called ‘Check.'”
However British journalist Piers Morgan was more skeptical, posting: “OMG. I’m seen some cheesy political videos in my time, but this Obama endorsement of Kamala is full-on Gorgonzola…”
On Sunday, President Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential election campaign and endorsed Harris for the Democratic nomination.
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said.
Harris swiftly received enough support from Democratic National Convention delegates to establish herself as the party’s presumptive 2024 presidential nominee.
Concern over the age and mental acumen of 81-year-old Biden surged after his presidential debate against Trump on June 27, when the Democratic incumbent at several points appeared to lose his train of thought mid-sentence. In response, he faced calls to step down from the race from a number of prominent Democrats, including members of Congress and actor George Clooney.
Update 7/26/24, 7:16 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
