Harris Makes First Public Remarks of New Race

The vice president delivering remarks at the White House at an event for NCAA championship athletes might not typically get much attention. But this is no ordinary Monday, of course. In her first public remarks since President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, Kamala Harris lavished praise on him:

• Harris said Biden's list of accomplishments is "unmatched in modern history," reports the Washington Post. "In one term, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who served two terms in office."
• She also praised Biden for his "honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart, and his deep love of the country," per Politico. "We are deeply grateful for his service to the nation."
• Harris did not directly address the 2024 race, notes the New York Times. The newspaper's Nicholas Nehamas writes that, given Biden's recent public stumbles, Harris' "clear and clean delivery removes a serious vulnerability for Democrats in their fight to keep Donald J. Trump out of the White House."

• The remarks come as potential challengers to Harris' path to the nomination have been dropping out and endorsing her, one by one.
• Later Monday, Harris is traveling to what used to be Biden campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, per the Hill.

(More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.)