WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris have remained in close contact since announcing their candidacy for president on Sunday, and they had many conversations this week as they kicked off their campaign, four people familiar with their discussions said.
Obama has privately fully endorsed Harris’ candidacy and plans to do so soon, these people said.
“He’s in regular contact with her and thinks she’s a great starter,” one of them said.
Obama is one of the only high-profile Democrats in the country who still doesn’t support Harris. While other party leaders have come forward to publicly support him, he has kept his support under wraps until now.
People familiar with the discussions did not know the exact timing of his confirmation. One of them said Obama did not want it to overshadow President Joe Biden’s position his Oval Office address to the nation on Wednesday night.
Another person familiar with the discussions said that Obama and Harris, who want to maintain the momentum his campaign has gained since entering the race, want his endorsement to be his moment among Democrats.
Aides to Obama and Harris have also discussed arranging for the two to appear together on the campaign trail, but no date has been set, three people familiar with the discussions said.
Michelle Obama also supports Harris’ candidacy, two people familiar with the matter said.
“President Obama looks forward to helping Democrats get out the vote this fall,” said Eric Schultz, Obama’s senior adviser. “Our strategy will be based on driving impact, specifically where and when sound can move the needle.”
During their conversations in recent days, Obama twice advised Harris on campaign building and other aspects of building a successful bid for the White House, according to people familiar with their discussions.
From Obama’s perspective, Harris has taken on too much in too little time, and sees herself as a resource and sounding board for him as he runs a high-stakes campaign nearly 100 days before Election Day. people familiar with their discussions.
Obama sees his campaign benefit as helping unify his party and push Democrats forward, and is expected to be a fixture on the campaign trail this fall.
The only publicly known phone call between Obama and Harris took place on Sunday, when Biden announced he was ending his re-election campaign and quickly endorsed Harris.
Obama issued a statement Sunday praising Biden and supporting the process of selecting the new Democratic nominee, but not Harris.
“We will be navigating uncharted waters in the coming days,” Obama said in a statement. “But I am extremely confident that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process in which an outstanding candidate will emerge.”
Harris then quickly received endorsements from across the country, and no one stepped forward to challenge his candidacy.
Since Biden’s June 27 debate speech, Obama has expressed concern that his former vice president could defeat former President Donald Trump in November, NBC News reported. He didn’t publicly or privately call for Biden to stay in the race, though he did defend his debate performance, writing in X. understood how was it to have a weak presidential debate.
Obama and Harris have known each other for years. She was an early supporter of his 2008 campaign and had a speaking role at his 2012 nominating convention. Obama campaigned for Harris when he ran for attorney general in California and supported Harris when he ran for Senate in 2016.