Not long after President Biden decided to withdraw from the presidential race, he immediately endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee and his successor.
“Today, I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden said in a statement that appeared on social media.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
In mere hours, Biden’s support for Harris triggered a flurry of endorsements from key lawmakers and organizations nationwide. Supporters are backing their words with dollars.
On Sunday, in a matter of hours, grassroots supporters raised $46.7 million through ActBlue after Vice President Kamala Harris launched her campaign, making it the largest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle.
Moreover, over $1 million was raised for Harris in less than three hours on Sunday night during a Zoom call held by Win With Black Women, an intergenerational, intersectional organization of Black women leaders across the country.
$1,000,018.54 was raised for Kamala Harris in less than 3 hours during the Win with Black Women Zoom call, organizers saidhttps://t.co/P2AcqUiKau
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 22, 2024
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a joint statement:
“We join millions of Americans in thanking President Biden for all he has accomplished, standing up for America time and again, with his North Star always being what’s best for the country. We are honored to join the President in endorsing Vice President Harris and will do whatever we can to support her.”
“We’ve lived through many ups and downs, but nothing has made us more worried for our country than the threat posed by a second Trump term. He has promised to be a dictator on day one, and the recent ruling by his servile Supreme Court will only embolden him to further shred the Constitution,” their statement continued. “Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it.”
Statement from President Clinton and Secretary Clinton pic.twitter.com/R7tYMFWbsu
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) July 21, 2024
Progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren also backed Harris, writing that the Vice President “is a proven fighter who has been a national leader in safeguarding consumers and protecting access to abortion. As a former prosecutor, she can press a forceful case against allowing Donald Trump to regain the White House. We have many talented people in our party, but Vice President Harris is the person who was chosen by the voters to succeed Joe Biden if needed. She can unite our party, take on Donald Trump, and win in November.”
Notable Illinois dignitaries also voiced their support for the 59-year-old former U.S. Senator and California Attorney General, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, who issued a statement that read in part:
“I enthusiastically support Vice President Harris in a new role. Her track record as a successful Attorney General for California, U.S. Senator, and her effective co-leadership with President Biden make her an ideal candidate to advance the Democratic agenda. Black women have long been key players in American progress and pillars of the Democratic Party.
I am looking forward to the upcoming Democratic National Convention where we will unite in Chicago.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson added to the chorus by releasing the following:
“President Biden united the country by defeating Donald Trump in 2020 and Chicago is grateful for his leadership and service. Today, President Biden cemented his legacy as the rare leader who puts the people above himself. It is vital for our entire party to come together and support Vice President Kamala Harris. I am proud to give her my full endorsement. Vice President Harris is the visionary leader that we need now to defeat the threat of another Trump presidency. She has proven herself as a fearless defender of our democracy. I look forward to doing everything I can to ensure she becomes our next President.”
However, former President Barack Obama and top Illinois lawmakers like Gov. JB Pritzker, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth praised Biden but refrained from mentioning Harris.
Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded – again – that he’s a patriot of the highest order.
Here’s my full statement: https://t.co/Bs2ZumFXxe
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 21, 2024
President @JoeBiden has dedicated his life in service to this nation, and its citizens are all the better for it. His is a storied political career culminating in one of the most accomplished and effective presidencies of our lifetime. pic.twitter.com/o00iTrQ62i
— JB Pritzker (@JBPritzker) July 21, 2024
On Sunday evening, in her first fundraising email, Harris thanked the President and addressed the task at hand: defeating Donald Trump.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. In the coming days, as I hit the campaign trail to meet with Americans and lay out the choice in front of voters in the fall, I cannot imagine two more starkly different visions for where we want our country to go,” she stated.
“We can choose the dark path of Project 2025, with less freedom and more division. Or we can choose to pull together and do the work — For The People.”
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