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Kamala Harris praises 'unmatched' Biden in first speech after he withdrew: VP says Joe 'wanted to be here' and is 'feeling much better' during COVID battle... and tells crowd 'you may clap'
Kamala Harris lavished President Joe Biden with praise on Monday after he endorsed her to be the Democratic nominee for president and the vice president prepared to visit her new campaign office.
Harris made her first public appearance since Biden exited the 2024 contest, hosting an event for National Collegiate Athletic Association championship teams from the 2023-2024 season on the South Lawn of the White House.
Biden was supposed to headline the long-scheduled event but the duties passed to Harris when he tested positive for COVID.
She began her remarks by showering Biden with accolades, noting that he was recovering well from his illness. The president remains at his beach house in Rehoboth, Del.
'He is feeling much better and recovering fast. He looks forward to getting back on the road,' Harris said.
'In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two terms in office,' Harris said.
As the crowd let out tepid applause, she reassured them 'you may clap.'
Vice President Kamala Harris makes her first public appearance since Joe Biden exited the presidential race
She went on to praise Biden's service to his country and noted she first met him through his son Beau. Harris and Beau Biden were both state attorneys general - she in California and he in Delaware. Beau died in 2015.
'The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities I have seen every day in our president:His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith, and his family is a big part of it and his love of country.'
'We are deeply deeply grateful for his service to our nation,' she added.
The praise was generous and no doubt will be touching for Biden, who revered his late son and valued Beau's opinion above all. One reason Biden considered Harris as his vice president was because Beau liked her.
Harris will head to Wilmington, Del., later Monday to meet with campaign staff.
The Biden re-election campaign has transitioned to her campaign, calling itself Harris for President.
'It's the first full day of our campaign, so I'm heading up to Wilmington, DE later to say 'hello' to our staff in HQ,' she wrote on X. 'One day down. 105 to go. Together, we're going to win this.'
Harris came out of the White House on Monday to cloudy skies.
But he rainy weather didn't put a damper on the crowd's enthusiasm. About 1,000 people were packed on the South Lawn in the drizzling rain.
It was supposed to be an event celebrating college students. Instead it turned into a first look at Harris' presidential campaign.
Swarms of media were watching. Supporters screamed and gave Harris a standing ovation.
Harris moved swiftly to have a campaign in place after Biden named her his heir apparent.
She began working the phones from her Naval Observatory residence - making calls in her Howard University sweatshirt - as she spoke to members of Congress, donors and other officials.
And the campaign took in almost $50 million since Biden endorsed Harris on Sunday, it announced.
Vice President Harris will head to Delaware on Monday to meet with campaign staff
The South Lawn was packed for Harris' event
Harris' next campaign event is scheduled to be in Wisconsin Tuesday. It's unclear if her campaign schedule will change now that she is running for the presidential nomination.
While she doesn't have it locked up, several potential foes have announced they are in her corner.
And she has yet to garner any significant opposition.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper have all endorsed Harris. All are seen as possible VP contenders for her.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom - both of whom have been mentioned as presidential contenders - and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who ran in 2020, all have endorsed Harris.
Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina - the powerful African American leader whose endorsement of Biden gave him the nomination in 2020 - has endorsed Harris.
But there are a few prominent Democrats who notably haven't endorsed her, including Barack Obama and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Harris said she intends to 'earn and win this nomination.'
Democrats will formally select their nominee at their political convention in Chicago.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at the White House on Monday morning
Vice President Kamala Harris leaves her residence in a motorcade at the U.S. Naval Observatory to head to the White House
The Democratic National Convention is set to kick off August 19 and go through 22 in Chicago, where Biden had been set to formally accept the nomination having received 3,896 delegates during the primaries.
Because Biden exited the race before officially becoming the nominee - the more than 3,900 pledged delegates get to cast their ballots in an open convention for whichever candidate they want.
They may line up behind Harris, who, because of federal law, is the only candidate that can use the money Biden has raised for the 2024 race.
The delegates will hold a vote on the convention floor.
If a candidate wins the majority of pledged delegates on the first ballot, they become the party nominee.
If no candidate gets a majority, then the so-called nearly 740 superdelegates, also known as automatic delegates, get to vote as well. They include a mix of party members and elected officials.
Voting continues until a candidate gets a majority of delegates.