United States Vice President Kamala Harris stated on Monday that President Joe Biden's legacy is "unmatched in modern history," in her first remarks since the president dropped out of the race for re-election. Harris described the president's sacrifice as generous and his successes as unparalleled, praising his character as both a person and a president.
"In one term, he has surpassed the legacy of most presidents who have served two," added the vice president, during an event honoring young students and athletes at the White House, hours after Biden gave her his "full support" to be the Democratic nominee for the November elections.
The event at the White House was ceremonial, more subdued, so not a word was said about the elections. That was left for the afternoon, during a visit to campaign headquarters, to address the entire team, confirm the head of the campaign, and rally the base. All while Biden himself was connected by phone unexpectedly, listening to the applause and praise and expressing his gratitude. "I know yesterday's news was surprising and it's hard for you, but we made the right decision," Biden told his friends, allies, and volunteers. He is expected to address the nation at length this week, as some of his predecessors did when opting not to run for re-election. But first, he needs to recover from Covid, which has kept him isolated and forced him to postpone engagements, such as a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We believe in a brighter future than the Republicans. We love our country, we believe in justice, freedom, not for some but for all," Harris challenged Trump. "Now we have to choose what kind of country we want. One of freedom, compassion, and the rule of law or one of fear, hatred, and chaos," she added.
Referring to her career as a prosecutor, Harris stated: "I faced criminals of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Swindlers who defrauded consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own benefit. So listen to me when I say: I know the likes of Donald Trump."
The Democratic hope is that she can lead the attacks on the first president criminally convicted in history, the former prosecutor against the felon. To be tough in criticisms and defend the key issues for their voters: abortion, justice, and social issues.
This Monday, Harris also received another important endorsement: that of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi: "With immense pride and unlimited optimism for the future of our country, I support Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States. I have full confidence that she will lead us to victory in November," said the party's shadow brain and the one who discreetly led efforts to convince Biden to step aside. Pelosi and Harris are not exactly friends, but their goal is the same: defeat Trump.
President Joe Biden's resignation from seeking re-election has revived the Democrats' campaign not only in terms of media and politics but also economically. In the hours following Biden's announcement, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, a significant portion of the party heavyweights, from the Clinton family to Senator Elizabeth Warren, sided with Harris. Money also followed suit, an essential part of a very long and expensive cycle.
In the last week, Donald Trump's campaign had managed to close the gap and accumulate reserves for the coming weeks, especially for advertising and events in the swing states, which are five or six. Fundraising groups aligned with the Republican candidate raised $431.2 million between April and June, $98.9 million more than pro-Biden groups, who raised $332.4 million, according to the Financial Times.
But in the first seven hours of this Sunday since Harris stepped forward and announced her intention to be the candidate for her party and Trump's rival, donations surged. Over $50 million in record time.
"By 9:00 p.m., Washington time, grassroots supporters raised $46.7 million through ActBlue following the launch of Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign. This has been the most significant fundraising day of the 2024 cycle. Small donors are excited and ready to face these elections," reported the ActBlue platform, the main platform for contributions to progressive candidates with over 14 million registered users.
Harris desperately needs these resources, and the party needs her to be the nominated leader at the August National Convention, so she can access all the money raised by Biden so far. She is in the race, while other potential options are not, so if other alternatives were to emerge, this money could not be used, and fundraising would have to start from scratch.
Private donors, millionaires, and SuperPACs, instruments that allow bypassing individual contribution limits, were on fire on Sunday. In recent weeks, essential pillars like mega-donors Stewart Bainum, Mark Pincus, Reed Hastings, and Mike Moritz had asked Biden to step aside and temporarily cut off the funding.
Investor and philanthropist Reid Hoffman, one of the most significant Democratic donors and a Biden anchor, was among the first to embrace Harris's cause. "Kamala Harris is the right person at the right time. Donald Trump and JD Vance promise an agenda that will wreak havoc on the American people. Harris's background and leadership in economic growth, the fight for bodily autonomy, and the protection of our democracy uniquely position her to combat Trump's extremism," he wrote on his social media.
Future Forward, the pro-Biden SuperPAC funded by Michael Bloomberg, Hoffman, and the late Jim Simons, has reserved $130 million in ads from late August until Election Day on November 5. Another significant billionaire, Alex Soros, stated his support, as did Way to Win, a major group of Democratic donors. However, some known mega-donors clearly aligned with the party prefer an "open process" instead of a "coronation." This is the case with Reed Hastings, one of the Netflix founders, or venture capitalist Vinod Khosla. Nonetheless, they all celebrate Biden's decision: "Now we have hope," they affirm.
According to the Financial Times, in the current election cycle until the end of June, Trump's campaign and affiliated PACs have raised $757 million, slightly more than Biden's groups, with $746 million. For comparison, in 2020, Biden and external groups raised $1.6 billion, compared to Trump's $1.1 billion, according to Open Secrets, which tracks campaign finance and lobbying data. Last week, Elon Musk pledged up to $45 million per month for Trump's campaign, aiming to sway undecided voters in the five or six key states, according to strategists.