Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly spoken several times with former President Obama and his endorsement is expected “soon” as she rode a wave of enthusiasm on Thursday for her newly launched campaign.
Obama has been “in close touch” directly with Harris since Sunday about the best way and time to roll out an endorsement of her campaign against former President Trump, NBC News reported.
“He has been in regular contact with her and thinks she’s been off to a great start,” a source told NBC.
The Obama endorsement decision is playing out as Harris continues to barnstorm the country since President Biden dropped out of the race and passed her the baton.
Harris paid tribute to her first grade teacher, the late Frances Wilson, in a speech to thousands of rapt supporters at a teachers union convention in Houston.
“It’s because of Mrs. Wilson and so many other teachers that i stand before you as vice president of the United States of America,” Harris said, adding, “and am running to be president of the United States of America.”
Harris lashed out at Trump over Project 2025, which has been touted as a right-wing blueprint for a second Trump term. It includes calls for new restrictions on abortion rights, ending the popular Obamacare health insurance program and new tax cuts for wealthy and big corporations.
“Donald Trump and his extreme allies want to take our nation back to failed trickle-down economics,” Harris roared. “We are not going back. We will move forward.”
Trump and Republicans are scrambling to cope with the rapid rise of Harris after they spent months planning to run a scorched earth campaign against the 81-year-old President Biden.
The GOP nominee put a quick end to any idea that he would mount a kindler and gentler campaign against Harris after surviving a recent assassination attempt.
“I’d like to be nice but I’m dealing with real garbage,” Trump said on Fox News.
Harris dared Trump’s GOP to try to smear her with attacks on her race and gender as she seeks to make history in November.
“Bring it on,” the crowd chanted.
The 1.8 million-member AFT has backed Harris and her pro-union agenda on the premise that a second Trump term could result in restrictions on organized labor and cuts in public school funding.
Along with the traditional stumping, Harris is seeking to harness a growing pop culture frenzy surrounding her trailblazing candidacy, releasing a video set to Beyonce’s hit “Freedom.”
The short video clip frames core messages of Harris’ campaign on reproductive rights, gun violence and economic justice as a matter of fighting for freedom.
There was also a glimpse of some obstacles Harris may face as she steps into the brighter glare of the presidential campaign spotlight.
Harris was set to meet Benjamin Netanyahu later Thursday a day after she skipped the hawkish Israeli premier’s pugnacious speech to Congress, which was welcomed by Republicans but mostly given low marks from Democrats.
Significantly, she was set to meet separately with Netanyahu after he meets Biden behind closed doors earlier in the day.
Biden hopes to end Israel’s war in Gaza, bring home the hostages held by Hamas and even make progress to a lasting Middle East peace before he leaves office in January.
Harris is also considering who to pick as a running mate from a reported short list of about a half-dozen wannabe vice presidents.
The veepstakes is heavy on white men from the Midwest or other swing states who might balance a ticket led by the first Black woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
The odds-on favorites include Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who would potentially round out a historic all-female ticket.
