US President Joe Biden announced in a Sunday broadcast that he plans to support Democratic candidate Kamala Harris's campaign in Pennsylvania, a crucial state in the upcoming November presidential election. Biden's comments came during an interview with CBS, marking his first public statement since he withdrew from the race against Republican candidate Donald Trump in late July due to concerns about the future of US democracy. According to polls from the New York Times and Siena College, Harris currently leads Trump by four points in Pennsylvania, as well as in two other critical swing states, Wisconsin and Michigan. When asked if he would campaign for Harris, Biden confirmed: "Yes." He further mentioned that he and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro are coordinating a campaign tour in Pennsylvania and that he intends to campaign in other states as well, doing "whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help most." Last week, Harris revealed that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz would be her vice-presidential running mate, to which Biden responded, "He's my kind of guy, he's real, he's smart, I've known him for several decades. I think it's a hell of a team." Reflecting on his decision to step down after a poor debate performance against Trump on June 27, Biden noted that internal polls suggested the race would have been tight. "But what happened was, a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races and I was concerned if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic you'd be interviewing me about," he explained. In an earlier excerpt from the interview released last Wednesday, Biden expressed doubts about a peaceful transfer of power in the United States if Trump were to lose.
Text: Lara Palmer
11.08.2024
US President Joe Biden pledges support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in crucial swing state