Has Barack Obama officially endorsed Kamala Harris for President?

Kamala Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president the moment Joe Biden announced his intent to withdraw from the race, but she’s got a fight ahead of her if she wants to win.

Donald Trump may be a lying, cheating sleaze with no diplomatic skills, an atrocious track record, and numerous legal cases pending against him, but he’s also a singularly popular candidate. History proves that there’s absolutely nothing Trump can do to deter his most ardent supporters, and those supporters number enough to give Harris a real challenge in the race for president.

As more and more endorsements come flooding in, however, Harris’ shot at the White House grows stronger. She’s raking in support from high-profile figures across the left side of the political aisle, but one vital endorsement took nearly a week to arrive.

Did Barack Obama endorse Kamala Harris for president?

Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States and the most popular Democratic leader in recent history, did not immediately endorse Kamala Harris for president. Nearly everyone with left-leaning views awaited his official vote of confidence since the moment Harris was named as the presumptive nominee, but for nearly a week, Obama made the masses sweat.

Everyone knew an endorsement was most definitely incoming, but Obama sure made us wait for it. He likely didn’t want to jump the gun with his endorsement and it was quite likely his week was chock-full of vital phone calls with figures he’s spent years securing alliances with. He also knows, given the persisting toxicity his presence summons from far-right figures, that any endorsement from him comes with a heaping plateful of pushback.

The former president ultimately gave his official endorsement to Harris on July 26, five days after Biden announced his intent to step aside. He was joined by his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, in throwing his passionate support behind the presumptive Democratic nominee, saying in a call to the current VP that both Obamas “couldn’t be prouder” of everything she’s done. It instantly gave hope and confidence to everyone who saw Obama as one of America’s greatest presidents, but it will no doubt also receive plenty of hate from those who continue to view him as a villain.

Noting in a post to social media that he and Michelle think Harris will “make a fantastic President of the United States,” Obama added that “at this critical moment for our country, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure she wins in November.”

Michelle shared a similar sentiment to her own social media, adding that she is “so proud of my girl, Kamala,” and throwing her weight behind the endorsement with particular regard to Harris’ “positivity, sense of humor, and ability to bring light and hope to people all across the country.”