Barack Obama Avoids Endorsing Kamala Harris For President

Former President Barack Obama issued a lengthy statement following Joe Biden’s stunning announcement that he would not seek a second term and was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race.

While Obama, 62, praised his Biden for his decision, calling him “a patriot of the highest order,” he failed to follow in the 81-year-old’s footsteps and endorse Harris to replace him, instead calling for the process to be left “open.”

“Joe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me,” Obama’s official statement began. “Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order. Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts.”

President Barack Obama has not endorsed Kamala Harris to be the next president of the United States. Source: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty

“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” Obama said in conclusion.  “I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.”

Bill and Hillary Clinton, Martin Luther King III, and Elizabeth Warren are just some of the high-profile individuals in the Democratic party who immediately backed Harris.

Source: MANDEL NGAN / Getty

In a statement posted on X, King III, the son of civil rights titan Martin Luther King Jr., said that Harris “will shatter a significant glass ceiling by becoming the first Black woman and first South Asian nominee from a major party for President.”

“The United States has come a long way since Dr. King’s time, but we have also seen significant — and often terrifying backlash to hard-won progress,” King III added. “We need someone who advocates for a fairer, more inclusive America. Thankfully, we have that nominee in Kamala Harris.”

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