In his first public appearance since dropping out of the presidential race, President Biden said Monday his decision was the “right thing to do” and vowed to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Mr. Biden is quarantined at his home in Delaware while he recovers from COVID, but he called into his campaign headquarters during Ms. Harris’ visit to meet with staffers.
The phone call comes one day after Mr. Biden surprisingly announced that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Ms. Harris to be the Democratic nominee in his stead.
“I know yesterday’s news was surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do,” Mr. Biden said. “I know it’s hard because you poured your heart and soul into me to help us win this thing.”
During his brief phone call, Mr. Biden insisted that he was not stepping down from office and would spend the next six months of presidency working to “get as much done as I possibly can.”
He ticked off a list of goals for his final few months in office, including speaking out against gun violence, lowering prescription drug costs, combating climate change, and ending the war in Gaza.
He also pledged that he would campaign for Ms. Harris.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be out there on the campaign with Kamala and I’m going to be working like hell both as a sitting president getting legislation passed as well as campaigning,” Mr. Biden said.
The president said Democrats’ mission is still the same, to defeat former President Donald Trump, whom Mr. Biden called a “danger to the communities, a danger to the nation.”
Speaking after the president, Ms. Harris called it a “great honor” to have Mr. Biden’s endorsement.
“It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win,” Ms. Harris told the crowd to thunderous applause. “So in the days and weeks ahead, I together with you, I will do everything in my power to unite our Democratic Party, to unite our nation and to win this election.”
Ms. Harris named Jen O’Malley Dillion ,who served as Mr. Biden’s campaign chair, to run her campaign. Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who was Mr. Biden’s campaign manager, will stay and work on Ms. Harris’s campaign.
The vice president wasted little time taking a shot at Mr. Trump in her remarks, referencing her previous jobs as attorney general for California and a courtroom prosecutor.
“In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” she said. “Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, ‘I know Donald Trump’s type.’ And in this campaign I will proudly put my record against his.”
The derisive mention of the former president won Ms. Harris the loudest applause and cheers of her speech.
The vice president concluded her remarks by pledging to sign as president legislation that would establish abortion as a protected right under federal law.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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