VP Kamala Harris gives first address in Wilmington, with Joe Biden joining by phone
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Vice President Kamala Harris, whom President Joe Biden endorsed Sunday after announcing he will no longer seek reelection, addressed the public from the Biden headquarters Monday − but not before the president himself spoke to both his staffers and the public for the first time since his decision.
"I think we made the right decision," he told his campaign staff members, many of them hearing from him for the first time, while noting he knew this was a surprise to many.
Biden had remained resolute in the weeks following his debate performance that he wanted to stay in the race and run for a second term. Biden is expected to address the nation later this week about his decision to bow out of the presidential election.
“I watching you, kid. I’m watching you, kid. I love ya,” Biden told Harris by phone before she took the podium and addressed her campaign staff – which was previously Biden’s campaign staff – in Wilmington.
While in Delaware Monday, Harris met with members of the Delaware delegation and visited the campaign headquarters that had already begun a transformation to hers as she mounts her presidential campaign. In the 24 hours since she annouced her intent to run, she raised a record $81 million.
It's the first full day of our campaign, so I'm heading up to Wilmington, DE later to say "hello" to our staff in HQ.
One day down. 105 to go. Together, we're going to win this.— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 22, 2024
In remarks that lasted about 20 minutes, Harris praised Biden’s accomplishments as “unmatched in modern history.”
“I know it's been a rollercoaster, and we're all filled with so many mixed emotions about this,” Harris said. “I just have to say: I love Joe Biden. I love Joe Biden.”
Then, the former prosecutor began to lay out her case against former President Donald Trump and how she plans to beat the Republican nominee.
“Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency. We here know when our middle class is strong, America is strong. And we know that's not the future Donald Trump is fighting for,” Harris said.
She ended her remarks saying, "God bless you all and God bless the United States of America -- and Joe Biden.”
As those gathered outside watched Harris’ speech from their phones, they smiled and cheered. Many came from nearby office buildings, towns and even states away to try and catch a glimpse of the vice president after it was announced she'd be making the trip to Wilmington Monday.
“She’s killing it,” one man said.
“Are you ready for this?” a woman said to him excitedly, expecting the answer to be “yes.”
He replied in the affirmative, laughing that she must have fired her former speech writer because Monday’s speech was invigorating.
Her address unsurprisingly brought many of Delaware's political leaders to the once-Biden headquarters, with Harris calling out many by name, including Delaware's Governor John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki, state Attorney General Kathy Jennings and the entire Delaware delegation. It similarly roused a large swath of media, who were stationed on either side of Tatnall Street and along North West Street near entrances to the Wilmington downtown building well before she and her motorcade arrived.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings was all smiles as she left the Nemours Building in Wilmington.“There was so much energy, and so many young people in that crowd who were loving what Kamala Harris had to say,” Jennings said. “She is going to bring a tremendous amount of energy to this campaign.”She added that Biden was on the phone for Harris’ speech, calling him “ the kindest, most decent human being. We love Joe.”She paused, then added: “I have to tell ya, Kamala was on fire.”
Delaware community, including delegates, comes out for Kamala Harris
After hearing Kamala Harris was visiting Wilmington Monday afternoon, Dwayne Bensing and several co-workers left their offices in the Community Service Building and walked over to the Brandywine Building in hopes of seeing the vice president.
“We learned on X that she was going to visit campaign headquarters and so we were like, ‘this is an amazing historic moment to come support Vice President Harris,’“ the Wilmington resident said.
Bensing, a Delaware delegate to the Democratic National Convention, said he’d already pledged to Biden but is excited about the latest developments.
“I was really excited that he passed the torch because I'm very enthusiastic about Vice President Harris,” he said.
“This is such a historic moment,” he added. “You know, every time we turn, it's just exciting that Delaware is still kind of the center of it all and so we just wanted to show our enthusiasm.
“Even in the President's home state for passing the torch and fighting for our democracy.”
Tears over President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of race
Leslie Richeson sported a Biden-Harris t-shirt that had been modified to reflect just Harris’ name. She said she came out Monday afternoon in hopes of seeing the vice president.
“She’s a good person — she’s as good as he is, and he’s perfect,” she said with a smile.
Richeson, who was in Biden’s class at the University of Delaware, called his decision “really sad.”
“I cried when he pulled out,” she said. “But I think it’s the way to go, to elevate Kamala.”
She added that as a lifelong Delaware resident, she wasn’t surprised that Biden was back in the First State when he announced his withdrawal.
WHERE IT HAPPENED: Joe Biden makes historic decision in 'Nation's Summer Capital,' Rehoboth Beach
“He came home to make the decision, to have some quiet,” she said.
People traveled to try and catch views of vice president
At hearing Harris was coming to Wilmington, Jacquelyn King and her two friends, sisters Dara and Isabelle Fishman, traveled from Fort Washington, Pennsylvania to Wilmington to try and get a glimpse of the vice president.
“We had nothing else going on today and then we saw a tweet that said that she was coming down here so like why not try and see the vice president,” 20-year-old King said.
King, who is visiting from Michigan, said Harris is not her top pick.
“But no one is at this point,” yet she said she will vote for Harris and hopes she is successful.
Dara Fishman, 19, said this will be her first time voting and she is expecting to vote for Harris. “I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” she said. “And it's cool to check out the scenes here. See what one of our presidential candidates has to offer.”
When asked if they’d ever traveled to Delaware to see Biden, they gave a hard no.
“I wouldn’t come out for him,” King said, especially after watching Biden’s performance in the debate.
“I was gonna vote for him,” she said. “And when you watch the debate, like it's kind of sad that we got to the point like where I had to, like, mute him because I was getting secondhand embarrassment.”
King added it would have been easier to vote for Biden if she’d not seen his debate performance.
Kamala Harris endorsements so far
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California
Voters of Tomorrow
Congressional Black Caucus
Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware
Delaware Gov. John Carney
REQUIRED READING: Who has endorsed Kamala Harris for president? Here are some of the notable politicians and figures
How much has Kamala Harris raised?
Roughly seven hours after Harris announced she was seeking the Democratic nomination, ActBlue, the PAC that raises money for Democrats, said it raised roughly $50 million from grassroots supporters.
Kamala Harris VP pick
Here are potential candidates who could be tabbed as her vice president:
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
California Gov. Gavin Newsom
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper
Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona
Reporter Joey Garrison contributed.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Kamala Harris gives address in Delaware, Joe Biden joins by phone
