Obama expected to endorse Harris soon, source says
Former President Barack Obama is expected to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris soon and his team has been in touch with the campaign, a source told CNN.
Obama and Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee, have been in touch regularly, and he is serving as a sounding board for her as he has over the 20 years they’ve known each other, the source said.
Obama, who didn’t immediately endorse Harris following President Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he was not seeking reelection, believed it was important for the Democratic Party to have a legitimate process through which delegates select their new nominee, and he thinks Harris is off to an impressive start, the source said.
News of Obama’s expected endorsement was first reported by NBC News.
Regarding Obama’s statement on Sunday, an adviser told CNN that the former president was taking the same approach as he did in the 2020 Democratic primary, watching closely with the intent of being able to unify the party when a nominee is chosen – whether it was Harris or someone else.
Obama’s statement was intended to keep the focus on Biden on the day he announced he was no longer seeking a second term, the adviser said.