'Embrace her,' Biden says, as Harris gives her first speech as likely Democratic nominee

Vice President Kamala Harris launched her official campaign Monday with a fiery address to supporters in Delaware — her first public address since overnight becoming a candidate for president and the Democrats' likely nominee.

Harris arrived at the campaign's headquarters in Wilmington, where staffers erupted into cheers.

Before Harris addressed the crowd, President Joe Biden phoned in to speak to the gathered staff, saying he would have attended in person if he weren't still recovering from COVID-19. He advised his team: "Embrace her. She's the best."

"The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn't changed at all," Biden said. "And by the way, I'm not going anywhere. I'm gonna be out there on the campaign with her, with Kamala. I'm going to be working like hell — both as a sitting president, getting legislation passed — as well as campaigning."

The president acknowledged that his decision was "surprising" but it "was the right thing to do." Some staffers in the audience cried at his speech.

But their tears turned to rousing cheers when Harris took the stage. She thanked the president, who was still listening in on the phone.

"Joe, I know you're still on the call and we've been talking every day," Harris said. "We love Joe and Jill. We really do. They truly are like family to us."

"It's mutual," Biden could be heard saying over the loudspeaker.

"I knew you were still there," Harris said, laughing. "You're not going anywhere, Joe."

"I"m watching you kid. I love you," Biden replied.

"I love you, Joe," Harris said.

Turning to business, Harris announced that Biden's top campaign officials — Jen O'Malley Dillon and Julie Chavez Rodriguez — will stay on to run her campaign.

The speech gave the public a first peek at how Harris will present as a presidential candidate in a breathtakingly fast four-month runway to the general election. She leaned hard into her background as California's attorney general, contrasting her experience with that of her opponent, former President Donald Trump, who is now a convicted felon.

"I took on perpetrators of all kinds," Harris said as her supporters broke out into laughter. "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."

Harris seemed to relish the opportunity to shine in her first stump speech since her failed presidential bid in 2020.

"We have an election to win. So are you ready to get to work?" she roared with a grin, before concluding her speech. "God bless the United States of America and Joe Biden."

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