Former President Barack Obama issued a statement on social media to mark President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. Obama thanked the President for his years of service and said he had stayed true to his word to the American people. Mr. Obama posted the tweet after Biden addressed the nation and confirmed he would not run for re-election because it was time to “pass the torch” to a new generation.
Social media users noted, however, that Obama did not endorse Kamala Harris and has remained silent on who the next Democratic Presidential candidate should be. President Biden endorsed his Vice President immediately after his announcement, followed by numerous high-profile Democrats.
Some online speculation suggests that Obama did not publicly back Harris because he does not believe she will defeat Donald Trump. Reports indicate that a Biden insider has described Obama’s “shock” at hearing that Biden had thrown his weight behind her. “Obama’s very upset because he knows she can’t win,” the source reportedly stated.
The unnamed insider also declared that Kamala Harris would say “something stupid” in a debate against Donald Trump and “put her foot in it” when discussing foreign affairs.
Since then, however, new reports have emerged indicating that Obama does support Harris and will announce his endorsement soon. One report stated that Mr. Obama intends to appear alongside the Vice President at events across the country.
The former President was among very few senior Democrats not to give Harris a speedy endorsement. Within days of President Biden’s decision, key figures, including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, had publicly endorsed the Vice President. Large sections of the public are reportedly getting behind Harris, too, with more than $100 million donated in 36 hours and 100,000 new volunteers.
Early polling also favors the Vice President. A Morning Consult survey placed her in the lead with 46% to Trump’s 45%, and in a poll including Robert F Kennedy, Harris leads by 42% to Trump’s 38%.
