President Joe Biden gave a full-throated endorsement to Kamala Harris’ ability to take over for him as president if needed, speaking in his first press conference since his disastrous presidential debate against Donald Trump.
“She’s qualified to be president. That’s why I picked her,” the president said when asked about her preparation to take over the position from him. “From the very beginning, I made no bones about that. She is qualified to be.”
It was a surprising moment, with Biden strongly supporting Harris without pivoting back to tout his own accomplishment as he continues to state that he will stay in the race for president this year.
Biden also noted that there are others who could defeat Trump for president, but noted that it would be difficult at this point to start from scratch. He also pointed to the fact that someone else coming in wouldn’t have access to all of the money the Biden campaign has raised. This also appears to leave the door open for Harris potentially taking his place, as Harris would still have access to those donations.
The press briefing comes at the conclusion of the NATO summit hosted by Biden in Washington D.C. The Biden campaign came in with the hopes that this event would showcase his leadership on the world stage.
Though Harris seems to be the likely successor if Biden were to drop out of the race, the public has appeared unconvinced that she could win either.
According to a Politico poll, just a third of voters think it’s likely that Harris could win the election in November as the Democratic nominee and just three of five Democrats believe she would prevail.
Calls for the president to leave the race “for the good of the country” have come from prominent Hollywood figures, including George Clooney and Rob Reiner, as well as political leaders such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal. High-powered members of Congress including Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Jim Clyburn are also among those who’ve indicated an openness to Biden potentially dropping out and making room for Harris or another candidate.
