ATLANTA: Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris in her run for the White House, giving the vice president an expected but still significant endorsement from the country’s two most popular Democrats.
The endorsement comes as Harris continues to gain momentum as the party’s front-runner following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse Harris, his No. 2, against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump. The announcement was made Friday morning in a video that showed Harris receiving a joint call from the former president and his wife.
The incident also highlights the friendship and potentially historic connection between America’s first Black president and the first woman, Black woman and Asian descent to serve as vice president, who is now trying to break those same barriers in the presidency.
“Michelle and I called to let you know we couldn’t be more proud to endorse you and that we’ll do everything we can to help you get through this election and into the Oval Office,” the former president told Harris, who was photographed taking the call while walking backstage at the event pursued by Secret Service agents.
Michelle Obama said, “To my dear Kamala, I can’t make this call without telling you I’m proud of you.”
“This will be a historic event,” she added.
Harris, who has known the Obamas since before the 2008 presidential election, said she appreciated their friendship and looked forward to “going out there and taking the journey with them” during the intense three months of campaigning leading up to Election Day on November 5.
“Why don’t we have some fun with this?” Harris said.
The Obamas are perhaps the last major party figures to formally endorse Harris, reflecting the former president’s desire to remain, at least publicly, an elder statesman of the party who stays out of the fray. The Obamas remain major fundraisers and popular mouthpieces for major Democratic campaigns.
According to an Associated Press poll, Harris has already secured the support of a majority of delegates for the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Chicago on Aug. 19. The Democratic National Committee plans to hold a virtual nomination vote by Aug. 7 to make Harris and a yet-to-be-announced running mate the official Democratic Party nominee.
Biden endorsed Harris within an hour of announcing he was ending his campaign last Sunday amid concerns about whether the 81-year-old candidate could beat Trump. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Jim Clyburn, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton followed suit days later.
But the Obamas tread carefully as Ms. Harris secured delegate pledges and raised more than $120 million in key Democratic constituencies. The national wariness reflects how Ms. Harris handled the weeks between Mr. Biden’s crushing debate defeat to Mr. Trump and the president’s decision to end his campaign. Mr. Obama was certainly a presence in the party’s machinations, but he operated quietly.
Former President Barack Obama’s first statement after Biden’s announcement didn’t mention Harris, instead speaking generally about choosing a candidate to succeed Biden. “I have extraordinary confidence that the leadership of our party can create a process that will produce a high-quality nominee,” Obama wrote.
The Obamas campaigned separately for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and for Biden in 2020, holding large rallies in the final weekend before Election Day. In 2020, they delivered key speeches at the Democratic National Convention, which was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obama’s speech was particularly notable for his fierce attack on Trump as a threat to democracy, an argument that has continued in Harris’ campaign.
