Former US President Barack Obama will endorse his longtime political ally Kamala Harris on Tuesday night in a high-profile speech that aims to boost her presidential bid over Republican Donald Trump in November's election.
At 63, Obama maintains a legacy that looms large in moments of crisis, including during the messy deliberations that ultimately led President Joe Biden to step out of the race and endorse Harris, 59.
A video of Obama and his wife Michelle Obama congratulating Harris in a phone call has been viewed by millions, and top advisers from Obama's 2008 presidential bid have signed on with Harris' campaign. The former president now reaches out to Harris with advice, according to a Harris aide.
Nearly eight years after his presidency ended, Obama remains one of the country's most popular Democrats, eclipsing Harris and the current administration, opinion polls show.
In a prime-time address to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Tuesday (local time), the first Black US president lends his own star power to a campaign, light on policy specifics, that has coasted on joyful vibes and the relief of Democrats delighted that Biden's flailing campaign is over.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern was attending the session and said the Convention felt like "a historic moment" because of the imporatnce of the November election. Obama was due to speak about 3pm Wednesday NZT.
Biden took centre stage on the convention's opening night, drawing an extended standing ovation from the party faithful and, even with five months left in office, delivering a farewell speech to the party that stretched well past midnight Eastern time.
Like his successors, Obama presided over a closely divided country. But his victories were enviable by today's standards: he won in 2008 and 2012 by healthy Electoral College margins, carrying states like Florida, Iowa and Ohio that are now considered out of reach for Harris and running mate Tim Walz.
But Trump also launched his political career through racist attacks on Obama's citizenship status and then succeeded him in the White House, a bitter legacy for liberals that Obama may reflect upon when he speaks.
The former president will outline what he believes will lift Harris to victory while also warning Democrats about the tough task they face over the next 11 weeks, according to a source familiar with the remarks.
"President Obama believes this is an all-hands-on-deck moment, and is committed to doing all he can to elect Vice President Harris and Democrats across the country," said Eric Schultz, an Obama adviser.
Trump campaign
Despite evidence to the contrary, Trump accused Harris of presiding over a "Kamala crime wave" by taking a permissive approach to law enforcement.
"You can't walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot, you get mugged, you get raped," he said at a campaign stop in Howell, Michigan.
Statistics compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association show that violent crime in large US cities has fallen steadily since Trump left office in January 2021.
Trump spoke one month after white supremacists rallied in the small town.
His campaign said he was not trying to stir up racial tensions for political gain, though Trump himself has made racist remarks about Harris, who would be the first Black woman and South Asian person to be elected president.
Harris and Trump are locked in a tight presidential race that will likely be decided in a handful of battleground states, polls show.
In a separate speech, former first lady Michelle Obama will emphasise the need for the country to turn the page on fear and division, according to a source familiar with her plans.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed that 55 pt% of Americans - and 94% of Democrats - viewed Michelle Obama favorably, higher than Harris' 37% approval rating nationally and 81% within the party.
Harris and Walz travel to Milwaukee on Tuesday (local time) for a campaign rally. Her remarks will be livestreamed into Chicago's United Center, site of the convention.
- Reuters / RNZ