Obama endorses Kamala Harris for president

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Kamala Harris for the White House on Friday, providing a significant boost to her campaign as she faces off against Donald Trump in November’s election.

“Earlier this week, Michelle and I called our friend Kamala Harris. We told her we think she’ll make a fantastic President of the United States, and that she has our full support,” Obama announced on social media platform X.

“At this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November. We hope you’ll join us,” he added.

Obama’s endorsement comes as one of the final major boosts for Harris, who had already secured the backing of President Joe Biden earlier in the week to be his successor on the ballot.

The former president’s support will add to the momentum Harris has been gaining since she entered the race at the last minute. She joined the campaign after weeks of instability surrounding 81-year-old Biden, who withdrew following a poor debate performance against Trump that heightened concerns over his mental fitness and persistently low approval ratings.

The country’s first female vice president — seeking to make history once more — took a strong stance against Trump and his “extremist” Republicans in a speech to teachers on Thursday.

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The momentum seems to have unsettled Trump, who declined to schedule a debate with Harris, stating Thursday night that it would be “inappropriate” until she was officially named the Democratic nominee.

“Democrats very well could still change their minds,” said Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung.

In response, Harris, a former top prosecutor for California, challenged Trump on X: “What happened to ‘any time, any place?’”

She had previously stated her readiness for a potential September 10 debate: “I’m ready. So let’s go.”

The American Federation of Teachers, the first union to endorse Harris, applauded her at their convention in Houston as she warned of a “full-on attack” by Trump’s Republicans on “hard-won, hard-fought freedoms.”

“While you teach students about democracy and representative government, extremists attack the sacred freedom to vote. While you try to create safe and welcoming places where our children can learn, extremists attack our freedom to live safe from gun violence,” she said.

This speech came amid increasingly extreme rhetoric from Trump, who on Wednesday labeled Harris a “radical left lunatic” and falsely accused her of supporting the “execution” of newborns.

Trump, who at 78 is the oldest presidential nominee in U.S. history, has vowed not to allocate any federal funds to schools with vaccine mandates, which are enforced in every public school in America.

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