The current President of the United States has declined the nomination, backing up his Vice President instead.
Right after US President Joe Biden announced that he would not be accepting his nomination, he endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to be the nominee for the Democratic party.
The President explained that he will be focusing his energy on fulfilling his duties for the remainder of his term.
READ ALSO: Assasination Attempt: Donald Trump Survives Rally Shooting With Injuries
“On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” Harris responded.
“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.”
Extensively Experienced
Harris became Vice President in 2021 as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American elected to this position.
If she wins the presidential elections, she will become the first woman and first South Asian American President of the United States. She would also be the second Black American President after Barack Obama.
Born in Oakland, California, Harris is the daughter of two Berkeley political activists and immigrants from India and Jamaica. Meanwhile, Harris herself is a graduate of Howard University (political science and economics) and UC Hastings College of the Law.
Early in her career, Harris worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County, California. In 2003, she won the election for District Attorney of San Francisco, serving two terms. Then by 2011, she was the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to be California’s Attorney General.
When Harris ran for the US Senate in 2016, former President Obama and Biden (as then Vice President) endorsed her.
For the People
Throughout her career, Harris has championed various causes from women and LGBTQ+ rights to environmental protection and criminal justice reform.
“When I started my career as a prosecutor, I specialized in child abuse. I met so many children who were the victims of circumstances beyond their control,” Harris told NBC News.
“I’ve worked hard to protect and support children, and I’ve seen what happens when we don’t,” she continued. “So I’ve developed this strong feeling that, as a community, we have a responsibility to make sure that every child is safe, is healthy and has access to a high quality education. We not only owe it to those children, but we owe it to the entire community.”
While in the Senate, she has championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize America’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis.
“At every step of the way, I’ve been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, for the people,” she stated in 2020.
Outpouring of Support
After announcing her plan to earn the nomination, Harris has received endorsement from many others, public figures and civilians alike.
Both Bill and Hillary Clinton have joined Biden in endorsing Harris. They stated that they “will do whatever we can to support her.”
“Now is the time to support Kamala Harris and fight with everything we’ve got to elect her. America’s future depends on it,” they concluded.
Hollywood has also reacted to the news, with words of praise for Biden’s decision from the likes of Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand, Mark Hamill, Jon Stewart, Kathy Griffin, George Takei, Jon Favreau, Cher, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.
“She is trusted and tested and she is a fierce advocate for women’s rights and people of color. Her message is one of hope and unity for America at her time of great national divide,” Curtis wrote about Harris on Instagram.
Banner image via X @JoeBiden.
