US election: Harris to hold first rally as likely candidate
Published July 23, 2024last updated July 23, 2024
What you need to know
- US Vice President Kamala Harris hits the campaign trail on Tuesday for the first time as the likely lead name on the ticket
- Hollywood celebrities, including George Clooney and Beyonce, have already lent their support to the campaign for the US presidential election
Biden to address nation for first time since exiting race
US President Joe Biden said he will address the nation on Wednesday for the first time in public since dropping his re-election bid.
Biden wrote on X that his Oval Office speech will be about "what lies ahead and how I will finish the job for the American people." It is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday (0300 GMT Thursday).
The US president has been in Delaware recovering from a COVID infection, and was returning to the White House on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Biden is intensely focused on the work that remains in the next six months.
This includes bringing peace to the Middle East and dealing with Russia's ongoing aggression.
Blinken, speaking to reporters, said that Vice President Kamala Harris has been a leading voice for US foreign policy and diplomacy.
He added that she is a very strong, effective and deeply respected voice for the United States around the world.
Baerbock praises 'strong women' in politics
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, in light of the US Democrats' endorsement of Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate after Joe Biden dropped out, reflected on the role of women in politics.
Germany's top diplomat said that "a bit too much testosterone is sometimes flying around," and so "strong women might not do certain situations any harm — but rather good."
Baerbock said that elections are often "only decided in the final moments," adding that a dramatic time lies ahead, "not only for the United States of America, but for us here in Europe, too."
If Harris wins in November, she will become the first female president in US history.
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns
Kimberly Cheatle, the head of the US Secret Service, is stepping down in the wake of the July 13 assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
A would-be assassin nearly killed the 2024 Republican presidential candidate at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.
She had been facing growing calls to resign and several investigations into how the shooter was able to get so close to Trump.
Black Lives Matter calls for digital primary
Racial justice group Black Lives Matter has called into question the swiftness with which the Democratic party has rushed to support Harris, calling for the nomination process to be opened to all party members.
In the US, party members engage in a state-by-state vote of their presidential candidate in a process known as primary elections. Delegates at each party's national convention then vote to officialy nominate this candidate, almost always completely honoring the outcome of the primary.
As an incumbent president, Joe Biden easily won his party's support. But Black Lives Matter is arguing the process now must be repeated, despite Democratic delegates pledging their support to Harris.
"We call for the Rules Committee to create a process that allows for public participation in the nomination process, not just a nomination by party delegates," Black Lives Matter said in a statement to Reuters news agency. "This moment calls for decisive action to protect the integrity of our democracy and the voices of Black voters."
Clooney backs Harris, thanks Biden
Hollywood actor George Clooney has publicly endorsed Harris, two weeks after urging President Biden to drop out of the race in a op-ed.
"President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He's saving democracy once again. We're all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest," he said in a statement to CNN.
Clooney and his wife Amal are major donors to Democratic candidates.
Harris heads to Wisconsin
The vice president is heading to the key battleground state of Wisconsin for her first solo campaign outing since President Joe Biden announced his intention not to run for reelection anymore.
While Wisconsin has leaned Democratic in recent decades, the final tally of votes has consistently seen both the Republican and Democratic parties come out within one or two points of each other. In 2016, the state went to Donald Trump.
As Harris sets out to forge her own campaign, pop star Beyonce granted her the right to use her song "Freedom" as a campaign anthem.
es/fb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)