Kamala Harris praised President Joe Biden on Monday after he endorsed her as the Democratic presidential nominee and prepared to visit her new campaign office.
The vice president made her first public appearance since Biden dropped out of the presidential race, hosting an event for the 2023-2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship teams on the South Lawn of the White House.
Biden was supposed to headline the long-scheduled event, but duties were handed over to Harris when she tested positive for COVID.
He began his remarks by praising Biden, noting that he was recovering well.
“He’s feeling much better and is recovering quickly. He’s looking forward to playing again,” Harris said.
As the crowd applauded tepidly, she assured them: “You can clap.”
Harris praised Biden’s service to his country, noting that she met him through her son Beau. Harris and Beau Biden were both state attorneys general — she in California and he in Delaware. Beau died in 2015.
‘The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities I have seen every day in our president:His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family are a big part of it, as is his love for his country.
“We are deeply grateful for his service to our nation,” he added.
The praise was generous and will no doubt touch Biden, who revered his late son and valued Beau’s opinion above all else. One of the reasons Biden considered Harris as his vice president was because Beau liked her.
Harris will head to Wilmington, Delaware, later Monday to meet with campaign staff.
“It’s the first full day of our campaign, so I’ll be heading to Wilmington, DE later to greet our staff at HQ,” he wrote on X. “One day down. 105 to go. Together, we’re going to win this.”
The rainy weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. Some 1,000 people crowded onto the South Lawn under a cloudy, drizzly sky.
It was supposed to be an event celebrating college students, but instead it became a first look at Harris’ presidential campaign.
A crowd of media watched the event. Supporters shouted and gave Harris a standing ovation.
The event on the South Lawn of the White House was already scheduled before all the weekend drama. Biden remains at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, recovering from COVID.
Harris moved quickly to launch a campaign after Biden named her his heir apparent.
He began working the phone from his residence at the Naval Observatory, making calls in his Howard University sweatshirt while speaking with members of Congress, donors and other officials.
The Biden campaign also lined up behind her, rebranding herself as Harris for president.
The campaign has raised nearly $50 million since Biden endorsed Harris on Sunday, it announced.
Harris’ next campaign event was scheduled for Tuesday in Wisconsin. It is unclear whether her campaign schedule will change now that she is running for the presidential nomination.
While he doesn’t have everything under control, several potential enemies have announced that they are on his side.
And it has yet to encounter any significant opposition.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper have all endorsed Harris. All are seen as potential vice presidential contenders.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (both mentioned as presidential candidates), and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran in 2020, have all endorsed Harris.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the powerful African American leader whose support for Biden gave him the nomination in 2020, has endorsed Harris.
But there are some prominent Democrats who have notably not supported her, including Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Harris said she intends to “win this nomination.”
Democrats will formally select their nominee at their policy convention in Chicago.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the White House on Monday morning
Vice President Kamala Harris departs her residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in a motorcade on her way to the White House
The Democratic National Convention is set to begin August 19-22 in Chicago, where Biden was scheduled to formally accept the nomination after receiving 3,896 delegates during the primaries.
Because Biden dropped out of the race before officially becoming the nominee, the more than 3,900 pledged delegates can cast their ballots at an open convention for the candidate of their choice.
They may line up behind Harris, who, because of federal law, is the only candidate who can use the money Biden has raised for the 2024 race.
Delegates will vote at the full convention.
If a candidate wins a majority of pledged delegates on the first ballot, he or she becomes the party’s nominee.
If no candidate wins a majority, the nearly 740 superdelegates, also known as automatic delegates, which include party members and elected officials, can also vote.
Voting continues until one candidate receives a majority of delegates.
