It’s official: The Obamas are throwing their influence and power behind Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency..
On Friday morning, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama officially endorsed the Vice President as the Democratic nominee.
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The Obamas posted statements and a video of Harris receiving an endorsement phone call from them on their social media accounts. In the video, a smiling Harris listened on speaker phone as Barack Obama told her “We called to say 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.”
The Obamas touted not only Harris’ record of accomplishments and their commitment to ensuring she becomes the 47th President of the United States, but also their friendship with the vice president.
“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 said.
Indeed, in her written statement, Michelle Obama wrote that she and Barack Obama “are so excited to endorse her as the Democratic nominee because of her positivity, sense of humor, and ability to bring light and hope to people all across the country.”
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The endorsements come after several days of speculation about why the Obamas had not publicly endorsed Harris.
On Wednesday the New York Post ran a breathlessly speculative headline “Obama doesn’t believe Kamala Harris can beat Trump, which is why he hasn’t endorsed her: sources.”
The anonymous “Biden family source” quoted in the Post’s article, claimed “Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win.”
Similar unsubstantiated narratives about the lack of an Obama endorsement being a sign that Barack Obama was against Harris proliferated on social media after President Biden’s Sunday announcement he wouldn’t be seeking re-election.
But as the New York Times pointed out on Sunday, it was normal for the former president to not immediately endorse Harris.
“Endorsing too early now would also be a political mistake — fueling criticism that Ms. Harris’s nomination, should it come, was a coronation rather than the best possible consensus under rushed circumstances,” the Times reported. “Instead, Mr. Obama sees his role as helping to quickly ‘unite the party once we have a nominee,’ a person familiar with his thinking said.”
By Tuesday, however, Harris had enough pledged Democratic delegates to become the nominee, and in his statement, Barack Obama explained that he and Michelle Obama had phoned Harris earlier in the week.
“We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” he wrote. “At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you’ll join us.”
Michelle Obama’s call to action was just as clear: “I know there’s a lot of work left to do, but I know I’m fired up. How about you?”