Biden is lauding Kamala Harris, saying his VP 'could be president of the United States'

• Biden is heaping praise on his deputy, Kamala Harris, even as calls for him to step aside grow.

• "She's not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States," he said.

• Biden has not indicated that he plans to step aside and give up on the 2024 race.

President Joe Biden is heaping praise on Vice President Kamala Harris, saying she "could be the president of the United States."

Speaking at a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) event, he started by slamming former President Donald Trump for his claim that immigrants are "taking black jobs" during the presidential debate last month.

"I know what a black job is. It's the vice president of the United States," he said.

"Folks, because of you, I am president, and Kamala Harris is vice president," he said before adding: "And by the way, she's not only a great vice president, she could be president of the United States."

This appeared to be a more articulate version of his praise for Harris at a press conference on July 11, during which he mixed up Harris and Trump's names.

"Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president if I didn't think she was not qualified to be vice president," Biden said during the press conference.

To be sure, Biden has consistently maintained that he does not intend to drop out of the race, despite mounting pressure from Democratic lawmakers, donors, and political commentators to step aside in favor of a more viable candidate.

In a recorded interview on Friday, Complex Networks' Speedy Morman asked Biden if he was committed to continue in the race.

He responded: "Unless I get hit by a train, yeah."

He is hanging on despite at least 18 House Democrats and one Democratic senator calling on him to quit.

In a letter to House Democrats on July 8, he said: "I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."

However, an Ipsos poll conducted for ABC News and The Washington Post on July 11 showed that if Harris ran for the top job instead of Biden, she would have a two-percentage-point edge over former President Donald Trump.

The poll surveyed 2,431 adults and found that Harris would have a lead over Trump of 49% to 47% among registered voters.

In contrast, RealClearPolitics' polling averages show that Biden trails behind Trump in six key swing states.

Biden's campaign manager has also said that if Biden quits, most of his campaign's sizable war chest will go to Harris.

While Harris has backed Biden, she has been stepping up her game at events and appeared increasingly presidential after the debate.

For instance, while Biden fumbled during the NATO summit speech, Harris was putting on a much stronger show while on a campaign trail in North Carolina.

Her staff also changed her schedule after the June CNN debate, having her appear beside Biden for the Fourth of July fireworks and picnic at the White House, something she has not done before, per The New York Times.

Representatives for the Biden-Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

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