It arrived later than endorsements from some other key Democrats, but Vice President Kamala Harris now has the endorsement of Barack and Michelle Obama. In a post on X Friday, the former president said they called "our friend" Harris earlier this week. "We told her we think she'll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support," he said. Obama also shared a video of Harris receiving the call. "I can't have this phone call without saying to my girl Kamala: I am proud of you. This is going to be historic," Michelle Obama tells her.
"Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office," Barack Obama tells Harris in the video. Sources tell NBC News that Harris and Obama have been in close contact since President Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday and she announced her candidacy. Aides have talked about them appearing together on the campaign trail, the sources say. NBC notes that Obama has endorsed Harris in several other races over the years, and she was co-chair of his California campaign when he ran for president in 2008.
In a separate statement, the Obamas praised Harris' accomplishments. In what the Washington Post describes as a possible "rejoinder to Republicans who have labeled her a 'DEI hire,'" they listed her previous roles. "But Kamala has more than a résumé. She has the vision, the character, and the strength that this critical moment demands," they wrote. "There is no doubt in our mind that Kamala Harris has exactly what it takes to win this election and deliver for the American people. At a time when the stakes have never been higher, she gives us all reason to hope." (More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.)