On Monday, Kamala Harris put herself in a strong position to ensure that the Democratic Party nominates her to run against Donald Trump in the November presidential election, while receiving support from figures in her party following the sudden withdrawal of Vice President Joe Biden.
In her first campaign speech, Harris compared the 78-year-old Trump to a "fraud" and insisted that "we will win" the election.
"Over the next 106 days, we're going to present our platform to the American people, and we're going to win," Harris told her campaign supporters in Delaware. ".
Harris also promised to make abortion rights a centerpiece of her campaign in her quest to reach the White House.
She said during her first campaign event, "We will fight for (a woman's) right to control her body, knowing that if Trump gets the chance, he will approve a ban on abortion in every state" of America.
Biden on Monday urged supporters to back his running mate's bid for the presidency, saying his withdrawal from the race was "the right decision."
In a call with his campaign team, Biden said, "I want to tell the team, support her. She is the best." Of his decision to withdraw, he added, "I know yesterday's news was surprising and difficult for you to hear, but it was the right decision."
Biden pledged to continue working to end the war in Gaza in his final months in office after withdrawing from seeking a second term.
"I will work very closely with the Israelis and the Palestinians to try to find a way to end the war in Gaza, achieve peace in the Middle East, and bring all the hostages home," he said.
Harris will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "this week" in Washington, her office said.
Harris' office said the meeting would be "separate" from the one between the U.S. president and the Israeli prime minister. Netanyahu left Monday for Washington, where he is scheduled to address Congress in the midst of the war in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Biden left his home, where he was isolated due to his infection with the Corona virus, and returned to the White House in the afternoon, for the first time since he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, according to his official schedule.
Since Wednesday, Biden has been isolated at his home in Rehoboth, on the Atlantic coast, due to his infection. From there, he wrote a letter to the American people last Sunday in which he announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.
Before her first visit to the campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Monday, Harris, 59, presided over a celebration at the White House in which she praised Biden, who she said left an "unparalleled" legacy.
A growing number of Democratic leaders have endorsed Harris, creating momentum that could accelerate her confirmation as the Democratic Party's nominee despite some calls for an open primary.
Biden, 81, endorsed Harris - the first black and South Asian vice president in U.S. history - after withdrawing from the race Sunday at the height of a crisis sparked by a disastrous debate performance with Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, announced her support for Harris' nomination.
"It is with great pride and boundless optimism for the future of our country that I endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States," Pelosi said on the X platform. "I have complete confidence that she will lead us to victory in November."
Support also came from former President Bill Clinton and a group of lawmakers, but former President Barack Obama has so far refrained from doing so.
Donors also rallied, pumping a record $81 million into Harris' campaign within 24 hours of Biden's withdrawal.
The campaign said it was the highest single-day amount in presidential history - and that of 888,000 grassroots donors, about 60 percent made their first contribution in 2024.
In a striking, symbolic moment, Harris hosted a party for college athletes at the White House on Monday, while Biden remained isolated at his Delaware beach house because of Covid.
"The legacy of accomplishments that Joe Biden has left over the past three years is unparalleled in modern history," Harris said in brief remarks on the South Lawn of the White House as a light rain fell.
Some of her sports metaphors seemed to refer to the political race that awaits her, as she spoke of victory and "the value of commitment and perseverance."
Harris will make her first trip to campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, later Monday - not far from Rehoboth Beach, where Biden has been treated for his Covidium infection since last week.
The president's doctor said in a statement Monday that Biden's symptoms have "almost completely resolved," though the White House has not yet announced any events on his schedule this week.
A number of other top Democrats backed Harris.
"Let's rise to the challenge," wrote Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
But she still needs to win the support of some key figures if she is to secure the nomination in time for the Democratic National Convention, which begins Aug. 19, although the decision could come earlier with the start of absentee voting Aug. 1.
Biden's withdrawal has upended the 2024 race, turning a long battle between two older men into one of the most passionate races in modern U.S. history.
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