Kamala Harris raises $50M after Biden endorsement
US Vice President Kamala Harris has raised $49.6 million for her presidential campaign in less than a day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her as the Democratic nominee, a campaign spokesperson for Biden said on Monday.
“Since the president endorsed Vice President Harris yesterday afternoon, everyday Americans have given $49.6 million in grassroots donations to her campaign,” the spokesperson said.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told CNN on Sunday that Harris would be “easier to beat” in November’s election than Biden.
Trump and his campaign later also attacked Biden and Harris on social media while saying Biden was unfit to continue serving as president.
More than a dozen Republicans called on Biden to resign, saying his unwillingness to continue to campaign raises questions about his ability to continue to govern.
House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Vance and other lawmakers urged the 81-year-old incumbent to step down from office.
Biden insisted in his statement that he would finish his term, which ends Jan. 20, 2025, and fellow Democrats blasted the calls as “ridiculous.”
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as President. He must resign the office immediately,” said Johnson, who is next in line to the presidency after the vice president.
Lost faith
Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Trump. He endorsed Harris to replace him as the party’s candidate.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said: “We will suffer greatly because of his (Biden’s) presidency, but we will remedy the damage he has done very quickly.”
Trump campaign advisers and allies have been telling reporters they are not worried about facing Harris because they can simply tie her to Biden’s record in office, particularly on immigration and inflation.
The former president’s campaign said Harris was Biden’s “enabler in chief” and “there is no distance between the two” Democrats’ records.
