Elections 2024 live updates: Kamala Harris hits campaign trail with first presidential rally in swing state Wisconsin

Vice President Kamala Harris has held her first campaign rally in Milwaukee, in must-win Wisconsin, the recent site of the Republican National Convention, giving an energetic, punchy speech to a fired-up crowd of supporters.

She paid tribute to President Joe Biden, attacked former president Donald Trump and Project 2025, and laid out the priorities for her presidency should she win in November.

Earlier, Harris was endorsed by Hollywood star George Clooney, whose New York Times editorial calling on Biden to step aside, played a major role in pressuring the president to make way for his second in command.

Harris has already secured support from more than 64 per cent of Democratic delegates to become the party’s nominee for president in place of Biden, who threw his support behind her on Sunday moments after withdrawing from the 2024 race for the White House himself amid questions about his age and health.

So far, no major challengers have emerged against her while the party has raised a record-breaking $81m in the 24 hours since the president made his announcement.

President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening about how he plans to finish out his term.

Key Points

• Harris revs up crowd in Milwaukee at first presidential campaign rally

• Harris secures delegates needed to become Democratic nominee

• Democrats raise $81m in first 24 hours of Harris’s presidential campaign

• What does Obama really think of Kamala Harris?

• Biden set to address nation for first time since dropping out of 2024 race

Where does Kamala Harris stand on key issues?

22:30 , Ariana Baio

Days after President Joe Biden announced his historic decision to withdraw from the 2024 race, it’s all eyes on Vice President Kamala Harris, who quickly emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Though Harris has spent the last four years in the White House, her role as VP has largely centered around supporting the Biden administration’s initiatives. As she hits the campaign trail to raise cash and shore up support, the vice president will now have to present her vision of the US to potential voters, revealing how a Harris administration would handle key policies and issues.

While much remains unknown about Harris’s potential platform — and how it will differ from her predecessor’s — here is what we know about her take on several key policy issues...

Abortion, Israel, crime: Where does Kamala Harris stand on key issues?

COMMENT: Why Kamala Harris might just be the perfect ‘brat girl’ president for Gen Z voters

22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Lauren Bulla writes:

Being ‘brat’ isn’t just partying and being silly. Having rights is ‘brat’, being politically engaged is ‘brat’, Kamala is now ‘brat’ and voting is ‘brat’ too. Will this be how Gen Z and ‘Zillennials’ get her to the White House?

How Gen Z could win Kamala Harris the election

Whitmer says ‘I’ve not sent any documentation to anyone’ regarding VP vetting process

22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan responded to reports that Kamala Harris’s campaign has requested materials to vet her as a contender for vice president by saying: “I am not interested in doing other than this job for the next two and a half years. I’ve not sent any documentation to anyone.”

The Gen Z slang guide to the 2024 presidential election

21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As Charli XCX’s post about Kamala Harris being “brat” went viral, it left many wondering: What does brat even mean? The declaration appeared to add confusion to an already hard to keep up with Gen Z dictionary.

Michelle Del Rey reports.

Brat, Cooked, Yap: The Gen Z slang guide to the presidential election

Tennessee congressman files article of impeachment against Kamala Harris

21:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Republican Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles has filed an article of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing her of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The Trump loyalist accuses Harris of failing to uphold immigration laws.

Harris to attend Federation of Teachers convention in Houston on Thursday

21:36 , Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Houston, Texas, on Thursday to attend the American Federation of Teachers convention.

Before he stepped aside and endorsed her, President Joe Biden was set to attend the event.

Update, per the White House:

Vice President Kamala Harris to Return to Houston, TX On Thursday, July 25, Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Houston, TX to deliver the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88^th national convention. The visit will be her second trip to Texas this month. The Vice President’s speech to educators from communities throughout the nation is a continuation of her consistent efforts to fight for workers across America, including as Chair of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. She recently carried this message to thousands of union workers at the SEIU Quadrennial Convention and the Constitutional Convention of UNITE HERE, the largest hospitality union. Earlier this month, Vice President Harris was in Dallas to deliver a keynote speech at Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s 71st Boulé. She was most recently in Houston for a moderated conversation with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in November.

Netanyahu to meet with Biden and Harris separately on Thursday, report says

21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Maggie Haberman of The New York Times reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris separately on Thursday.

George Clooney endorses Kamala Harris and praises Biden

21:15 , Oliver O'Connell

George Clooney has endorsed Kamala Harris and praised Joe Biden for “saving democracy” just days after he penned a damning op-ed calling on the president to step aside from the 2024 race.

“President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again,” the Hollywood star said in a statement to CNN.

“We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

George Clooney endorses Kamala Harris after calling on Biden to drop out of 2024 race

ICYMI: Kamala Harris clinches enough delegates to secure nomination

21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have secured enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s nominee to take on Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

In her first full day in the presidential race, after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and swiftly endorsed his vice president on Sunday, Harris received the backing of key Democratic officials, hauled in record sums of campaign donations, and appeared to clinch a majority of delegates she will need to win the party’s nomination.

By Monday night, a little over 24 hours after she entered the race, Harris surpassed the 1,976 delegates needed for the nomination in a first round of voting among Democratic delegates, according to an Associated Press survey.

Alex Woodward reports.

Kamala Harris clinches enough delegates to secure Democratic presidential nomination

Full story: Kamala Harris links Trump to Project 2025 in debut presidential campaign rally

20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

In her first campaign rally as the presumptive Democratic nominee to face Donald Trump, vice president Kamala Harris took aim at her Republican rival and a widely derided Trump-liked platform that provides a blueprint for the next GOP administration.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” she said in remarks from Milwaukee on Tuesday, just two days after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and endorsed his vice president.

Harris, who secured enough delegate pledges to clinch the Democratic Party’s nomination within a little over 24 hours after announcing her candidacy, linked Trump to Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-backed plan for his administration, and one that his campaign is now furiously trying to distance itself.

Alex Woodward reports.

Kamala Harris links Trump to Project 2025 in first campaign rally: ‘We can’t go back’

In pictures: Kamala Harris makes first presidential campaign speech at raucous Wisconsin rally

20:33 , Oliver O'Connell

Harris narrows down VP shortlist as two candidates emerge as frontrunners

20:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly have emerged as frontrunners for Democratic presumptive nominee Kamala Harris’ choice of vice president.

Both men are from key battleground states in the 2024 presidential race and have a history of defeating candidates endorsed by Donald Trump at the ballot box.

A source close to the campaign – newly rebranded as Harris For President – told ABC News that the vetting of potential running mates had begun. Other candidates being considered as well as Shapiro and Kelly are Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.

Mike Bedigan and Eric Garcia report.

Kamala Harris narrows down VP shortlist as two candidates emerge as frontrunners

Trump commits to debating Kamala Harris

19:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Harris revs up crowd at first presidential campaign rally

19:47 , Oliver O'Connell

Vice President Kamala Harris begins with comments on President Joe Biden: "Joe's record of accomplishment over his entire career and over the past three and a half years is unmatched in modern history. In one term as president, he has already surpassed the legacy of most presidents who served two terms."

Later she told the crowd to wild cheers: “So Wisconsin, I am told as of this morning that we have earned the support of enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination."

Harris then repeated her Trump attack line focused on her prosecutorial past: “I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say: I know Donald Trump’s type.”

Kamala Harris takes the stage in Wisconsin

19:37 , Oliver O'Connell

There is rapturous applause as Vice President Kamala Harris takes the stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for her first presidential campaign rally.

Harris was introduced by Leia Esser, a Madison public school administrator, who said thanks to the Biden-Harris administration: “I had almost all of my student loan debt forgiven.”

Watch LIVE: Kamala Harris makes debut on presidential campaign trail in Wisconsin

19:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch live: Kamala Harris makes debut on presidential campaign trail in Wisconsin

Watch: Schumer endorses Kamala Harris

19:26 , Oliver O'Connell

White House releases updated schedule for President Biden

19:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

In the evening, the President will address the nation.

Thursday, July 25, 2024

In the afternoon, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.

Then, the President and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will meet with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas.

Friday, July 26, 2024

In the afternoon, the President will depart the White House en route to Camp David where he will remain until Sunday.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

In the afternoon, the President will depart Camp David and return to the White House.

Joe Biden seen for first time since endorsing Kamala Harris for president

What does Obama really think of Kamala Harris?

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Hannaford talks to those who know them and uncovers a personal and political relationship that goes back years.

What Obama really thinks of Harris (and why it might explain his silence)

New poll: Harris leads Trump 44 % to 42% in US presidential race

19:05 , Reuters

Vice President Kamala Harris opened up a marginal two-percentage-point lead over Republican Donald Trump after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and passed the torch to her, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, followed both the Republican National Convention where Trump on Thursday formally accepted his party's nomination and the Biden announcement on Sunday he was leaving the race and endorsing Harris.

Harris, whose campaign says she has secured the Democratic nomination, led Trump 44% to 42% in the national poll, a difference within the 3-percentage-point margin of error.

Harris and Trump were tied at 44% in a July 15-16 poll, and Trump led by one percentage point in a July 1-2 poll, both within the same margin of error.

While nationwide surveys give important signals of American support for political candidates, just a handful of competitive states typically tilt the balance in the US Electoral College, which ultimately decides who wins a presidential election.

The most recent poll showed 56% of registered voters agreed with a statement that Harris, 59, was "mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges," compared to 49% who said the same of Trump, 78.

Only 22% of voters assessed Biden that way.

Biden, 81, ended his reelection effort after a debate with Trump in which he often stammered and failed to aggressively challenge attacks by Trump that included falsehoods.

When voters in the survey were shown a hypothetical ballot that included independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Harris led Trump 42% to 38%, an advantage outside the margin of error. Kennedy, favored by 8% of voters in the poll, has yet to qualify for the ballot in many states ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

The poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 1,241 U.S. adults nationwide, including 1,018 registered voters.

New poll of Democrats finds overwhelming support for Kamala Harris

18:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Almost 80 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of Kamala Harris taking over the party’s nomination from Joe Biden, a new poll has shown, following the president’s shock decision to bow out of the 2024 race for the White House.

A survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of CBS News showed that just 21 percent were in favor of nominating someone else over the vice president.

Mike Bedigan has the details.

New poll finds overwhelming support for Kamala Harris among Democratic voters

Biden tests negative for Covid-19, returns to DC

18:54 , Oliver O'Connell

The president’s physician Kevin O’Connor has released a new update on Joe Biden’s health:

The President's symptoms have resolved. Over the course of his infection, he never manifested a fever, and his vital signs remained normal, to include pulse oximetry. His lungs remained clear.

BINAX rapid antigen testing is negative. He will continue to be monitored for any recurrence of illness.

The President continues to perform all of his presidential duties.

As always, I will continue to keep your office updated with any changes in his condition or treatment plan.

Wolf Blitzer roasted over ‘Wolf Spritzer’ on late-night

18:42 , Oliver O'Connell

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was roasted by the late-night hosts on Monday evening after he posted on social media on Sunday about relaxing with a “Wolf Spritzer” cocktail in his favorite restaurant right before Joe Biden announced his bombshell exit from the Democratic presidential ticket.

“Enjoying a Wolf Spritzer at El Presidente restaurant here in DC,” the veteran host naively posted on X and Instagram at precisely 12.47pm on Sunday lunchtime, posing with the drink named in his honor and looking perfectly at ease.

Biden’s own message confirming that he would not run against Donald Trump in November after all, ending weeks of pressured speculation, duly appeared on the same platforms at 2.13pm, unleashing all hell in newsrooms around the world.

Joe Sommerlad has the story.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer gets the late-night treatment over ‘Wolf Spritzer’ post

Watch: Hakeem Jeffries endorses Kamala Harris

18:37 , Oliver O'Connell

Meet the White House doctor who greets Joe Biden every morning

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

America’s 46th president marked the decision with a simple, solemn letter – an announcement to the world that he would no longer seek a White House second term. Joe Biden’s Sunday missive may have sent Democrats into practical and hypothetical planning overdrive, but it followed fervent, growing concern from all sides about the 81-year-old’s health.

Donald Trump and his new running mate, for example, have even called for investigations into the medical team who’ve been tending to President Biden to date. So just where, and who, is the Commander-in-Chief’s doctor?

Sheila Flynn reports.

Meet Biden’s White Hose doctor who Trump wants to investigate

Second gentleman responds to Trump attacks on Harris

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was asked about Donald Trump’s attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris and responded: “That’s all he’s got? Look, you heard the Vice President yesterday making the case against Donald Trump very clearly. Laid out the case directly, and in a compelling fashion.”

He continued: “But she also laid out a vision for the future, a vision where there’s freedom, where we’re not having to talk about these issues of today in this post-Dobbs hellscape that Donald Trump created.”

Watch LIVE: Biden departs Delaware for return to White House after exiting 2024 presidential race

18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch live: Biden returns to White House after exiting 2024 presidential race

Full story: Biden set to address nation for first time since dropping out of 2024 race

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden will address the nation to explain his shock decision to exit the 2024 presidential race and lay out the final months of his administration from the Oval Office on Wednesday.

In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), Biden said he would speak at 8:00 pm about “what lies ahead, and how I will finish the job for the American people.”

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

Biden set to address nation for first time since dropping out of 2024 race

Kamala Harris: ‘I know Donald Trump’s type'

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Exclusive: AOC and lawmakers of color reveal concerns about Kamala Harris facing racist and sexist attacks

17:28 , Oliver O'Connell

Democratic female lawmakers of color have revealed they are worried about Vice President Kamala Harris facing racist and misogynistic attacks after she all but became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

President Joe Biden endorsed Harris to be the Democratic nominee for president after he announced that he was stepping down from the race on Sunday.

Since then, Harris has received overwhelming support from nearly every faction of the Democratic Party and appears to have clinched enough delegates to become the presumptive party nominee.

But some Democrats fear that she will be subjected to racist and sexist attacks given she would be the first Black and Indian woman to become the presidential nominee of a major party.

Eric Garcia and Bel Trew report from Washington, DC.

AOC and lawmakers of color reveal concerns about Kamala Harris facing racist attacks

Harris to travel to Indianapolis

17:19 , Oliver O'Connell

Per the White House:

On Wednesday, July 24, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a keynote speech during Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.’s Grand Boulé in Indianapolis, IN. Indiana will be the 24th state that the Vice President has visited this year.

Biden’s Texas trip back on

17:18 , Oliver O'Connell

Per the White House:

On Monday, July 29th, the President will travel to Austin, Texas. The President will commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act during a visit to the LBJ Presidential Library.

17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

How the world reacted to Joe Biden dropping out of presidential race

Watch: Karine Jean-Pierre explains Biden decision to step aside in 2024 race

16:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Harris smashes fundraising record in first 24 hours of campaign

16:30 , Oliver O'Connell

If Democratic Party donors were holding onto their wallets out of concern for President Joe Biden’s chances of defeating Donald Trump in November’s presidential election, they don’t appear nearly as worried about Vice President Kamala Harris.

Just one day after Biden announced that he was bowing out of the race and tossing the keys to his campaign over to Harris, the vice president’s operation pulled in a whopping $81 million in new donations to augment the $264 million war chest raised over the last quarter.

Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC,

Kamala Harris raises $81 million in first 24 hours of presidential campaign

Watch: Gov Tim Walz slams ‘robber baron’ JD Vance for knowing nothing about small town America

16:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden to address nation on Wednesday from Oval Officer

16:14 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office at 8pm on Wednesday evening about how he plans to finish up his term in office.

Watch LIVE: House Democratic Caucus leaders speak as Kamala Harris campaigns for presidential nomination

16:06 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch live as House Democratic caucus leaders hold a news conference on Tuesday, 23 July, as Kamala Harris continues to campaign for the party’s presidential nomination following Joe Biden‘s decision to exit the 2024 presidential race.

Live: House Democratic Caucus leaders speak as Kamala Harris continues campaign

Know your memes: Kamala and the coconut tree

16:00 , AP

If you’re trying to get up to speed on Vice President Kamala Harris’ swift emergence as Democrats’ possible nominee this fall, you really need to know your memes.

From “brat summer” to “coconut tree,” it’s been a timeline full of Harris-related memes for many people since President Joe Biden exited the 2024 presidential race on Sunday and endorsed his No. 2 to lead the party.

Taking to the internet to pledge their support for her candidacy, Harris’ backers, much of the time, are crafting new spins on previous online organisms that at one time had been used by Harris’ detractors to throw shade.

Continue reading...

Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed

Biden returning to White House this afternoon

15:58 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden will return to the White House this afternoon having spent several days recovering from a Covid-19 infection at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Once back in Washington, DC, he will receive the presidential daily briefing and it is believed that a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be confirmed.

Netanyahu arrived in Washington yesterday and will address Congress this week.

Watch: JB Pritzker says he has not received vetting materials from Harris campaign

15:45 , Oliver O'Connell

"I love being the governor of the State of Illinois, and I've been out on the campaign trail fighting hard for Democrats to win... I'm very interested in making sure that Kamala Harris becomes the next president of the United States."

Trump wants Biden doctors investigated as Vance claims ‘coup’ staged by Democrats

15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump insisted that President Joe Biden’s doctors should be probed for giving him a “wonderful report” while his running mate JD Vance called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked in a new Jesse Watters Primetime interview.

Kelly Rissman reports.

Trump calls for probe into Biden’s doctors as Vance claims Dems staged ‘coup’

Shapiro and Kelly leading Harris veepstakes, report says

15:19 , Oliver O'Connell

A senior administration official has told Martha Raddatz of ABC News that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly are the leading candidates to be Kamala Harris's running mate.

Both men come from key 2024 battleground states and have won against Trump-endorsed candidates.

Shapiro was Pennsylvania’s attorney general before defeating Republican Doug Mastriano to become governor in 2022.

Kelly is a former astronaut and Navy captain and won his Senate seat in 2022, defeating Republican Blake Masters. He is married to former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in January 2011.

Ohio state senator gives groveling apology for saying it will take ‘civil war’ to save US if GOP loses election

15:15 , Oliver O'Connell

An Ohio state senator has issued a groveling apology after he said it would take “a civil war” to save the country if Republicans lose to Democrats in the 2024 presidential election.

At a rally in Middletown, Ohio, on Monday, Republican state Senator George Lang took to the stage before Ohio Senator JD Vance, Donald Trump’s newly-named running mate.

Lang’s remarks began with chants of “Fight! Fight! Fight!” – echoing Trump’s chant in the immediate aftermath of an assassination attempt – before he dived into his speech in support of Vance and the former president.

Amelia Neath reports.

Ohio state senator apologizes over ‘civil war’ comments at JD Vance rally

Watch: Nevada rep says ‘we are moving forward’ and ‘Kamala Harris represents our future’

15:08 , Oliver O'Connell

Inside the final hours of Biden’s 2024 campaign

15:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s how King Knut came to realise he could no longer hold back the waves on the Delaware shore.

Inside the final hours of Biden’s 2024 campaign

AOC and lawmakers of color reveal concerns about Harris facing racist and sexist attacks

14:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Democratic female lawmakers of color have revealed they are worried about the Vice President facing racist and misogynistic attacks after she all but became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Eric Garcia and Bel Trew have this one.

AOC and lawmakers of color reveal concerns about Kamala Harris facing racist attacks

How Republicans will try to hold Biden’s campaign war chest hostage

14:15 , Joe Sommerlad

GOP officials appear to be preparing for legal threats to stop Kamala Harris from inheriting a massive campaign cash pile from Joe Biden after he ended his presidential campaign.

Within hours after Biden endorsed his vice president for the Democratic nomination, campaign officials notified the Federal Election Commission the Biden-Harris campaign is now “Harris for President.”

The Harris campaign now has access to more than $90m in cash on hand, according to government records. Her candidacy also opened the floodgates from small and large-dollar donors to the campaign and Democratic causes, with the Harris campaign raising $81m within 24 hours of its launch.

But GOP lawyers and officials are now arguing the campaign can’t simply switch things up, signaling a legal battle to stop the cash flow.

Alex Woodward has more.

How Republicans will try to hold Biden’s campaign war chest hostage

George Clooney endorses Kamala Harris and says Biden ‘saved democracy’

14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Harris has just been endorsed by Hollywood star George Clooney, whose New York Times editorial calling on Joe Biden to step down earlier this month played a major role in pressuring the president into making way.

“President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again,” the actor said in a statement to CNN.

“We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

Here’s Gustaf Kilander on The View’s hosts calling on Clooney to deliver Harris “a big check”.

The View co-host says George Clooney should write a ‘big check’ for Harris

Trump leading Harris by 2% in first post-Biden Morning Consult poll

13:45 , Joe Sommerlad

A new Morning Consult survey conducted after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign has found that Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris by 47 per cent to 45 per cent, a big improvement on the six-point gap the president was facing.

The poll also reports that 65 per cent of Democrats support Harris to lead the party’s ticket, more than double the level of following she had in a hypothetical match-up late last month in the wake of the first presidential debate in Atlanta.

The pollster further reports that Democratic voters are now more likely than Republicans (27 per cent to 24 per cent) to say they’re “much more motivated” to participate in November’s vote without Biden’s involvement.

Here’s a much closer breakdown of their findings.

Four ways Biden can clear the decks for Harris

13:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s Eric Garcia with the latest from Capitol Hill.

“President Biden's gonna continue to do his job,” House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries told him.

“We still have more work to do. We still have to lower costs, we still have to end price gouging. We have to continue to grow the middle class, defend democracy and fight for reproductive freedom.”

How Biden can clear the deck for Kamala Harris

In pictures: Kamala Harris celebrated in ancestral village in India

13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Beyoncé gives Harris permission to use ‘Freedom’ as official 2024 campaign song

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

The Vice President made quite the entrance on Monday when she walked out to pop superstar’s song during her first visit to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, since it was rebranded after Joe Biden stepped down from the race.

Harris was greeted by campaign staff and supporters while the penultimate song from the singer’s 2016 album Lemonade, featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar, played in the background.

Just hours before her appearance, representatives of the 32-time Grammy winner were said to have granted her approval to use Freedom as the anthem for her campaign, a source told CNN.

The song, with lyrics “I’ma keep running, ‘cause a winner don’t quit on themselves,” has clear political overtones, its writer Carla Marie Williams told Fader shortly after the hit song’s release.

James Liddell has more.

Beyoncé gives Kamala Harris approval to use ‘Freedom’ as official 2024 campaign song

‘Political suicide’: Will anyone dare to challenge Harris?

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

A host of prominent Democratic lawmakers, party leaders and public figures have already quickly lined up behind Harris as their party’s new presidential nominee after Joe Biden’s announcement he would step aside after all.

But the Vice President’s nomination is not a done deal – so it is possible that other Democrats will challenge her for the party’s ticket?

Joe Middleton takes a look.

‘Political suicide’: Will any Democrat dare to challenge Kamala Harris?

New poll finds overwhelming support for Harris among Democratic voters

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Almost 80 per cent of Democratic voters are in favor of Kamala Harris taking over the party’s nomination from Joe Biden, a new poll has shown, following the president’s shock decision to bow out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday.

A survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of CBS News showed that just 21 per cent were in favor of nominating someone else over the Vice President.

Here’s more from Mike Bedigan.

New poll finds overwhelming support for Kamala Harris among Democratic voters

Pelosi endorses Harris for Democratic nominee

11:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, saying that she has “full confidence she will lead us to victory in November.”

Pelosi said she made her endorsement “with immense pride and limitless optimism for our country’s future” in a social media post on Monday, adding that her enthusiasm for Harris’ candidacy was “official, personal and political.”

Mike Bedigan reports.

Nancy Pelosi endorses Kamala Harris for Democratic nominee

Harris targets Republican rival as she unveils campaign focus: ‘I know Donald Trump’s type’

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Kamala Harris appeared to offer a preview of her upcoming presidential campaign in remarks touting her experience as a courtroom attorney, telling supporters: “I know Donald Trump’s type.”

The Vice President said her days spent dealing with “predators… fraudsters... and cheaters” had equipped her for the fight against the former president and the race to claim the White House in November.

Speaking to supporters on Monday, she acknowledged the rollercoaster of “mixed emotions” and her love of the president, following his momentous decision to end his re-election campaign.

Mike Bedigan reports.

Harris gives campaign preview and rips Republican rival: ‘I know Donald Trump’s type’

Former Obama attorney general helping Harris vet vice presidential picks

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The Vice President will get some help choosing her running mate from Eric Holder, the nation’s first Black attorney general, who served for six years under former president Barack Obama.

Holder and his firm Covington & Burling LLP will be working to vet potential candidates to join Harris on the Democratic party’s ticket, The Independent has learned.

Among the names up for consideration to join the Harris ticket so far are: Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona.

Alex Woodward reports.

Former Obama attorney general is helping Kamala Harris vet vice presidential picks

Harris to make campaign trail debut as presidential contender in Milwaukee

09:40 , Joe Sommerlad

Kamala Harris will make her debut on the presidential campaign trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, today, just days after the Republicans cleared out of that “horrible” city.

Harris raises $81m in first 24 hours of presidential campaign

09:20 , Joe Sommerlad

If Democratic Party donors were holding onto their wallets out of concern for Joe Biden’s chances of defeating Trump in November’s presidential election, they don’t appear nearly as worried about Kamala Harris.

Just one day after Biden announced that he was bowing out of the race and tossing the keys to his campaign over to Harris, the vice president’s operation pulled in a whopping $81m in new donations to augment the $264m war chest raised over the last quarter.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Kamala Harris raises $81 million in first 24 hours of presidential campaign

Harris secures enough delegates for Democratic presidential nomination

09:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Good morning!

If you’re just joining us, US Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have secured enough delegates to be the Democratic Party’s nominee to face Donald Trump in the presidential election.

In her first full day in the presidential race, after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday and swiftly endorsed her as his successor, Harris received the backing of key Democratic officials, hauled in record sums of campaign donations and appeared to clinch a majority of delegates she will need to win the party’s nomination.

By Monday night, a little over 24 hours after she entered the race, Harris got the support of more than the 1,976 delegates she will need to capture the nomination in a first round of voting among Democratic delegates, according to an Associated Press survey.

This was her statement on social media:

Here’s the latest from Alex Woodward.

Kamala Harris clinches Democratic delegates for party’s presidential nomination

Buttigieg mocks Vance as he explains why he thinks tech bros are backing Trump

08:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher to issue a succinct takedown of Republican vice presidentian nominee JD Vance.

He said Vance was a close ally of former PayPal boss and prominent Republican donor Peter Thiel. Thiel is one of a number of high-profile tech tycoons to back Trump, the latest being Elon Musk, something Trump boasted about at length during his Michigan rally on Saturday.

John Bowden reports.

Buttigieg mocks JD Vance as he explains why he thinks tech bros are backing Trump

Biden passed that torch slowly, hanging on until the wheels finally came off

07:14 , Associated Press

As the “pass the torch” drumbeat thumped on from lawmakers wanting him to quit the race, president Joe Biden maintained a brave face. Publicly, he vowed he was all in, until the day he got out.

But there were telling indications he was listening to that beat long before he ended his campaign for reelection. One sign was over a week ago, when Chuck Schumer visited his Delaware beach house as an emissary of gloom.

The Senate majority leader had spoken with Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, a few days earlier. He had heard from nearly every Democratic senator, pinging him over the last three weeks on his old-school flip phone.

He wasn’t speaking for all of them, but for many.

Think about what’s bound to happen to Democrats in Congress, Mr Schumer implored the president. Think about the generations-long impact of a Supreme Court with Donald Trump in the White House. Think about your legacy.

“I need a week,” Mr Biden said. The two men hugged.

That scene and those words were described by someone familiar with the conversation, who would only detail it on condition of anonymity. Other firsthand observers of Biden’s struggle to stay viable also described a privately contemplative president during his days of decision.

Some spoke on the record; others anonymously. Together, their accounts show a president who was determined to exhaust every avenue to keep his hopes alive, but ultimately not in denial about the prospects.

By the weekend, if not sooner, the gravity of it all reached a critical mass — the terrible polls, the precipitous drop in big-money donations, the sad voices of those he most respected and had worked with for decades.

One insider said Mr Biden “began to come to a decision on Saturday evening,” in the company of four close advisers. Things moved quickly Sunday. He gave South Carolina representative Jim Clyburn early word he would be stepping aside, in what the congressman called a “very pleasant conversation.”

He did not speak with Ms Pelosi at the time.

‘Kamala IS brat’: Charli XCX endorses Harris and the VP is thrilled

06:51 , Namita Singh

Kamala Harris has welcomed an unlikely endorsement from British pop star Charli XCX, as she launches her presidential campaign in the 2024 White House race after Joe Biden withdrew.

The vice president was announced as the new Democrat frontrunner, prompting a flurry of donations to the party and statements of support from celebrities including Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and pop singer Lizzo.

Meanwhile, Charli XCX referenced her latest hit album as she declared on social media: “Kamala IS brat.”

Report:

‘Kamala IS brat’: Charli XCX endorses Harris and the VP is thrilled

What exactly is a Brat summer? How Charli XCX’s album suddenly became part of the presidential race

06:50 , Namita Singh

It’s a Brat Summer, and the vice president’s newly launched presidential campaign is the latest to join the fun.

“Kamala IS brat,” the singer - born Charlotte Aitchison - shared with her 3.6 million followers on X, referencing her blockbuster sixth studio album, Brat.

With the album sparking the “Brat summer” trend on social media, it is no surprise that the 21 July post went viral among Gen Z, garnering over 18 million views and 244,000 likes.

But what does a Brat summer mean? Read this report to find out:

What is a Brat summer? How Charli XCX’s album became part of presidential race

Aaron Sorkin retracts controversial essay calling for Democrats to nominate Mitt Romney

06:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin has retracted an essay he wrote for The New York Times Sunday morning after Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic nominee later that same day.

In his essay, Sorkin proposed that the Democrats nominate former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in an attempt to unify the public and fend off a Trump victory.

Tom Murray reports from Los Angeles.

Aaron Sorkin retracts controversial essay calling for Dems to nominate Mitt Romney

Video: AOC expresses concern about racist and misogynistic attacks that Kamala Harris will face

06:22 , Namita Singh

For young voters, Harris is 'far closer' in age

06:09 , Namita Singh

Tatum Watkins, a 19-year-old college student from southwest Iowa and a delegate to the DNC, said she appreciates as a young woman that Harris is speaking out on issues like reproductive rights and is “far closer” in age to a whole new generation of voters.

“She is very much leaning into what’s popular right now,” Ms Watkins said. “I’ve seen already her branding is what I can best describe as brat summer.”

Ms Watkins said that has energised and excited her and other young Iowans, making what will be her first experience voting in a presidential election “even better.”

The mood among many House Democrats lifted quickly as lawmakers returned to Washington with Biden having handed off the election to Ms Harris.

“I’ve never been more optimistic about America because of his leadership, his selflessness, his putting country first,” said representative Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania.

“And then Kamala — woo! — I am excited,” she said. “I’m hearing from my constituents and folks they are so fired up.”

Kamala Harris reacts to securing delegates' support: ‘I look forward to accepting nomination’

05:56 , Namita Singh

Shortly after securing the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee, vice president Kamala Harris said in a statement that she is looking forward to formally accepting the nomination while also making her case against a second Donald Trump presidency.

“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top,” Ms Harris said.

The 2024 election is about two different visions for America’s future, Ms Harris said.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country back to a time before many of us had full freedoms and equal rights,” she said. “I believe in a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.”

The AP is not calling her the new presumptive nominee because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats hold a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

Biden expected to return to White House on Tuesday

05:51 , Namita Singh

At the White House, staff are waiting for Joe Biden’s expected return on Tuesday after he spent the last six days convalescing.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients on Monday urged aides to keep their heads down and remain focused on the work that remains. He listed lowering housing and healthcare costs, implementing the administration’s key legislative achievements, and safeguarding democracy as among Mr Biden’s top priorities for the final months of the administration.

The message is being echoed throughout the administration. Secretary of state Antony Blinken told senior State Department officials that Mr Biden wants his team to remain laser focused on carrying out his foreign policy agenda.

Mr Blinken noted that there is still “one-eighth” of Mr Biden’s term to go, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Mr Biden, who is scheduled to meet with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu later this week, said during his call to campaign staff that he was focused on getting a cease-fire agreement and expressed optimism that a deal was close. His standing with some in his liberal base has plummeted as the death toll in Gaza has mounted. More than 39,000 people have died, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.

“I’ll be working really closely with the Israelis and with the Palestinians to try to work out how we can get the Gaza war to end and Middle East peace and get all those hostages home,” Mr Biden told campaign staff. “I think we’re on the verge of being able to do that.”

Biden aims for more achievements despite lame-duck label

05:30 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden says he’s “determined to get as much done” as he possibly can in his final six months in the White House as he tries to beat back a defining force that his lame-duck predecessors struggled to vanquish: diminished relevance.

Mr Biden hopes to keep the spigot flowing with hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding from a series of major legislative wins early in his term – signature policy victories that could be undone should Republican Donald Trump return to the White House.

He also badly wants Israel and Hamas to agree to his proposed three-phase ceasefire deal to bring home remaining Israeli hostages and potentially pave the way for an end to the nine-month-old war in Gaza. That would require no small measure of risk by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leadership.

Mr Biden also will press to quickly fill federal judiciary vacancies – currently there are 48 openings – and make other federal agency appointments, but he will undoubtedly face pushback from Senate Republicans who want to keep him from notching any end-of-term wins.Mr Biden, in short, is rallying his team to help him defy political gravity.

“I’m still going to be fully fully engaged,” a gravelly-voiced Mr Biden, who is recovering from Covid-19 at his beach home in Delaware, promised staffers during a Monday call-in to his former campaign headquarters.

‘It was the right thing to do’

05:05 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden called into Kamala Harris’ campaign event from his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is recovering from Covid-19, to lend her his support. He planned to talk about his decision to step aside in an address to the nation later this week.

“The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn’t changed at all,” Mr Biden said in his first public remarks since announcing his decision, promising he was “not going anywhere” and plans to campaign on Ms Harris’ behalf.

Mr Biden said of stepping aside: “It was the right thing to do.”

As he handed over the mantle of leadership to Ms Harris, Mr Biden added: “I’m watching you kid. I love you.”

Kamala Harris presidential endorsement adds record $81m to campaign

04:56 , Namita Singh

Joe Biden’s campaign formally changed its name to Harris for President, reflecting that Kamala Harris is inheriting his political operation of more than 1,000 staffers and war chest that stood at nearly $96m at the end of June.

Ms Harris added $81m to that total in the first 24 hours after Mr Biden’s endorsement, her campaign said – a presidential fundraising record – with contributions from more than 888,000 donors.

The campaign also saw a surge of interest after Ms Harris took over, with more than 28,000 new volunteers registered since the announcement – a rate more than 100 times an average day from the previous Biden re-election campaign, underscoring the enthusiasm behind Ms Harris.

Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had been one of the notable holdouts, initially encouraging a primary to strengthen the eventual nominee, said she was lending her “enthusiastic support” to Ms Harris’ effort to lead the party.

Ms Harris, if elected, would be the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to be president.

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to be held on 19-22 August in Chicago, but the party had announced it would hold a virtual roll call to formally nominate Mr Biden before in-person proceedings begin.

‘It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win’

04:37 , Namita Singh

Kamala Harris acknowledged the chaos of the Democratic campaign over the last several weeks – referring to it as a “rollercoaster” – while speaking to campaign staff in Wilmington, Delaware on Monday. But she also expressed confidence in her new campaign team.

“It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win,” she said. She promised to “unite our Democratic Party, to unite our nation, and to win this election”.

She quickly leaned into the themes that will be prominent in her campaign against Donald Trump over the coming 100 days, contrasting her time as a prosecutor with Mr Trump’s felony convictions - “I know Donald Trump’s type”, she said - and casting herself as a defender of economic opportunity and abortion access.

“Our fight for the future is also a fight for freedoms,” she said. “The baton is in our hands.”

Prominent Democrats throw weight behind Harris

04:33 , Namita Singh

Prominent Democratic elected officials, party leaders and political organisations quickly lined up behind Kamala Harris in the day after Joe Biden’s exit from the race, as her campaign set a new 24-hour record for presidential donations on Monday.

Several state delegations met late on Monday to confirm their support for Ms Harris, including Texas and her home state of California.

California state Democratic chair Rusty Hicks said 75 to 80 per cent of the state’s delegation were on a call and they unanimously supported Ms Harris.

“I’ve not heard anyone mentioning or calling for any other candidate,” Mr Hicks said. “Tonight’s vote was a momentous one.”

Still, the AP is not calling Ms Harris the new presumptive nominee. That is because the convention delegates are still free to vote for the candidate of their choice at the convention in August or if Democrats go through with a virtual roll call ahead of that gathering in Chicago.

Top Democrat donor Reid Hoffman backs Harris

04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Major Democratic donor Reid Hoffman has thrown his support behind Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential candidate, saying the vice president is “the right person at the right time.”

The entrepreneur – who co-founded LinkedIn and whose net worth is estimated as $2.5bn by Forbes – said the decision by Joe Biden to end his reelection bid was “one of the most selfless acts we’ve seen from a politician in modern American history.”

Mike Bedigan reports.

Top Democrat donor Reid Hoffman backs Harris after election shakeup

Harris secures delegates needed to become Democratic nominee for president

03:55 , Namita Singh

US vice president Kamala Harris secured support from a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention, likely ensuring she will become the party’s nominee for president next month, according to multiple sources.

President Joe Biden threw his support behind Ms Harris on Sunday when he withdrew from the race amid questions about his age and health. He pledged to remain in office as president until his term ends on 20 January 2025.

An Associated Press survey of delegates showed Ms Harris had the support of 2,538 delegates, well beyond the 1,976 needed to win the delegates vote in the coming weeks. Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison said on Monday the party will deliver a presidential nominee by 7 August.

In her first public appearance since the announcement, the vice president rallied supporters on Monday with a debut campaign speech vowing to go after Republican nominee Donald Trump like the courtroom prosecutor she once was.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Ms Harris told campaign workers 28 hours after president Joe Biden, 81, abandoned the 2024 White House race and endorsed her.

“So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type. In this campaign, I will proudly, I will proudly put my record against his,” said Ms Harris, who was attorney general of California and a US senator before serving as Biden’s vice president.