Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle supported the candidacy of Kamala Harris for the presidency in a one-minute video recorded during a private phone conversation between the couple and the current vice president, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
„We're calling to say that Michelle and I, we couldn't be more proud to support you and do everything in our power to get you through this election and into the Oval Office,' Obama tells Harris. “I am proud of you. This will be historic“, adds the former first lady.
Smiling as she spoke on the phone, Harris expressed her gratitude for their support and longtime friendship.
„Thank you both. It means so much. We're going to have fun with this,'' Harris is heard saying.
The campaign said the video was the actual conversation, not a re-enactment.
Harris' surprise bid against Republican rival Donald Trump continues to gain momentum among supporters, donors and politicians less than a week after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race amid falling polls.
Obama, who is the first black president of the United States, remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, even more than a decade after he was last elected. He supported Biden at major fund-raising events, which were among the biggest events of his campaign.
His support for Harris could help energize and sustain her campaign and fund-raising, and is a signal that he is likely to join the campaign once Harris is officially announced as the Democratic nominee.
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Obama initially balked at endorsing Harris, even as Biden, his former vice president, named her as his successor. It is said that he did not want to tip the scales while the party was in the process of selecting its candidate.