President Joe Biden made it clear on Monday night that he is” not going anywhere” in his first public remarks since he dropped out of the race and supported Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place.
In a surprise telephone call to his former battle headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden urged a crowd of about 100 staff members to support his ex-running mate, and the response was cheery.
Biden, who is quarantining in Rehoboth Beach, Del. he said he would have been with Harris at the campaign event in person if he had n’t been sick as he recovers from COVID-19.
” Accept her, she’s the best”, Biden said, sounding loud throughout his about four-minute notes.
” I’m hoping you’ll provide every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala”, he added.
The president said that when he recovers, he’s going to spring back into action and get “fully, completely engaged” both as leader and on the campaign trail for Harris.
” The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission has n’t changed at all”, Biden said. ” … I’m going to be working like hell both as a sitting president getting policy passed, as well as campaigning”.
” I’ll be doing whatever Kamala wants me or needs me to perform”, he added.
Harris, delivering her first promotion discourse, leaned on her experience as California attorney general and as a counsel, telling the staff that” I know Donald Trump’s type”.
Taking the stage, Harris even expressed her love for Biden, and thanked him. She and Trump speak every day, she said.
” Joe, I know you’re still on the call”, Harris said, adding that she and her father, following person Doug Emhoff “love Joe and Emily, we actually do”.
” They truly are like home to us”, Harris added.
” It’s mutual”, Biden popped in to say, which was met with cheerful laugh.
” I knew you were still there”, Harris responded. ” You’re never going somewhere, Joe”.
” I’m watching you kid”, Biden said. ” I love you”.
” I love you, Joe”, Harris responded, smiling great, and putting her hands near her heart.
Biden will provide until January as leader. He said Monday evening that during his remaining months in office, he wants to “get as much done as I possibly you” on private policy issues like lowering prices for people, climate change, gun control, child care, eldercare, and prescription medications, and foreign policy issues like maintaining international partnerships, and ending the war in Gaza, bringing victims house, and bringing peace to the Middle East.
He was gracious to his plan staff and volunteers, promising to always have their backs, only as they did for him. And he backed his campaign’s determination to rescind.
” I know today’s information is shocking and difficult for you to notice, but it was the right thing to do”, Biden said. ” I know it’s hard, because you poured your heart and soul into me… I think we made the right decision”.
___
( c ) 2024 The Philadelphia Inquirer
Distributed by , Tribune Content Agency, LLC
