Vice President Kamala Harris effusively praised President Biden Monday in her first appearance since he ended his reelection campaign and endorsed her for president.
“His honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart and his love, deep love of our country,” Harris said. “I am a first-hand witness that every day our President Joe Biden fights for the American people.”
“We are deeply, deeply grateful of his service to our nation,” Harris added.
Harris, who has won praise for her loyalty to Biden, spoke at a White House event to congratulate several NCAA championship college sports teams.
Biden has been scheduled to do the honors but he is holed up at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, as he recovers from a mild case of COVID-19.
“He is feeling much better and recovering fast, and he looks forward to getting back on the road,” Harris said.
Harris launched her presidential campaign Sunday minutes after Biden abruptly pulled the plug on his own campaign amid widespread concerns over his age and fitness.
She is rallying support from Democratic leaders as she tries to wrap up the nomination without facing any serious challenge, making more than 100 calls to lawmakers, donors and other influential figures.
Harris is also mulling over whom she may pick as her vice presidential running mate.
Biden has not spoken publicly since withdrawing from the race.
Harris has stood by of Biden even as other Democrats clamored for him to step down in the nearly four weeks since his poor debate performance shook up the White House race against former President Trump.
She related a familiar story that she came to know Biden through his late son, Beau, when they both served as attorneys general of their states.
“Back then, Beau would often tell me stories about his dad. He would tell me about the kind of father, and the kind of man that Joe is,” Harris said. “The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities that I have seen every day in our president.”
