Kamala Harris Gets Unexpected News Hours After Biden Exits Race
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has secured close to $50 million in donations since President Joe Biden concluded his re-election bid on Sunday and gave her his endorsement.
“Since the President endorsed Vice President Harris yesterday afternoon, everyday Americans have given $49.6 million in grassroots donations to her campaign,” the Harris campaign informed Fox News.
The Harris campaign clarified that this amount includes contributions from “all entities, including ActBlue.”
After Biden's announcement on Sunday that he would step down from the 2024 race due to pressure from the Democratic Party, Harris launched her own presidential campaign.
This historic announcement was in response to growing demands from Democratic lawmakers for Biden to resign. Reports indicated that party leaders were trying to convince the 81-year-old president that he would struggle to defeat former President Trump, the GOP nominee for 2024, in November's general election. Biden won the presidency four years ago.
Immediately upon Harris becoming the party’s presidential nominee, Biden gave her his “full support and endorsement.”
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden wrote in a public letter. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
In a social media post, Biden mentioned he will formally address the nation later this week regarding his decision and continued to endorse Harris.
The president’s support could discourage other Democrats from mounting a serious presidential campaign, potentially clearing the path for Harris to become the party’s nominee.
More than 178 Democratic members of the House and Senate, along with over six governors, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have already endorsed Harris.
Following Biden's announcement, Harris issued a statement expressing she is “honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
“Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead,” she added. “I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
The vice president lauded her boss, thanking Biden “for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.”
A source familiar with the situation informed Fox News that Biden and Harris communicated multiple times on Sunday before the president’s surprising announcement.
Former President Barack Obama, however, has yet to endorse Harris, favoring instead a process where an “outstanding” nominee can emerge.
In a comprehensive statement, largely praising Biden, Obama stated: “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.”
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges. I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond,” Obama added.