Kamala Harris says she is running for President in first statement since Joe Biden's shock withdrawal

21 July 2024, 21:43 | Updated: 21 July 2024, 21:55

Vice President Kamala Harris said she is "honoured" to receive Joe Biden's endorsement in her first public comments after the president's shock decision to drop out of the race.

In a statement, just over two hours after the 81-year-old announced his move and said she intends to win the nomination and "unite" the Democratic Party.

The 59-year-old called Biden's decision "selfless" and "patriotic" and an example of what he has done for his five decade career in politics.

She said: "I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.

"Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. 

"And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda."

Earlier Biden stunned the world by dropping out of the 2024 presidential race after admitting it was in the "best interests of the country" for him not to seek re-election for a second term.

Biden, 81, endorsed his vice president Harris to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November.

The President had faced a growing clamour from within his own party to step aside after a disastrous debate performance against Trump last month.

The speculation around his health reached fever pitch during last week's Nato summit where he mistakenly called Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, President Putin.

In a letter posted to his X account, Biden, 81, wrote: "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President."

"And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term."

Biden said in his letter that he would speak in more detail about his decision in remarks to the country later this week. He also sent a quick follow-up post pushing for Harris to take over his campaign.

Last week, Biden was pulled from the campaign trail after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 for the third time in the middle of a west coast swing.

This led to even more speculation that he would soon drop out of the race. It came after the showdown against Trump last month where Biden was often seen on split screen with his mouth agape and a million-mile blank stare.

During his time to speak at the podium, the President would stumble, freeze, lose his train of thought and mumble his way through answers to moderator's questions.

Trump's immediate response to Biden's decision came in a call to CNN on Sunday. He said: "He is the worst president in the history of our country."

He added that he thinks Harris will be even easier to defeat than Biden.