Returning from a two-week beach vacation, President Joe Biden is teaming up with the Harris campaign to get the vice president elected this November.
Six weeks ago, Biden was forced out of the 2024 race and has been hiding since— only appearing here and there for a few appearances. However, he is taking on a new role as he closes out his presidential term in the White House and as Vice President Kamala Harris’ popularity continues to sink among voters.
The Harris campaign announced that the 81-year-old president will shift from candidate to surrogate, telling reporters he’s excited to stump for Harris and drive home his “legacy.” Sources say Biden and Harris will “divide and conquer” on the campaign trail this fall.
This comes as Biden saw a slight poll increase since exiting the race. At the same time, Harris’ “honeymoon.” approval ratings begin to taper off.
Over the next five days, Biden will stop in states where he defeated former President Donald Trump in 2020, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Emphasizing the Keystone State, Biden will spend a lot of time there because he believes it's a place Harris has “got to win.”
White House communications director Ben LaBolt said Biden will be"campaigning to elect Vice President Harris and Governor Walz and spending time with core constituencies with whom he has a long relationship, continuing to deploy investments in manufacturing, infrastructure, and emerging industries like clean energy, and strengthening our alliances on the world stage. "
The president will fill in the gaps as Harris reportedly dials back her public appearances as she prepares for the upcoming Sept. 10 debate against Trump. A source close to CNN said that Harris’ team is also discussing ways Biden can be useful with fundraising over the next few months.
Another source close to Biden’s inner circle told Fox News that "the stakes of the election are what got him to run for re-election. It’s what he thinks about every single day.”
“Just because it’s not his name on the ticket doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care just as much about winning this election. That’s why you’ll see him fighting because all the stuff that he said when he was running, he still believes.”
Harris has not distanced herself from Biden’s policies but has taken a different approach to her messaging on issues such as the economy. However, she continues to dodge questions about why she hasn’t explained the policies she has proposed while on the campaign trail.