Obama will give Harris his full support

Former President Barack Obama plans to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential candidacy, according to two people familiar with his plans.

That endorsement could come as early as Thursday, according to one of the people granted anonymity to speak about an endorsement that is not yet public.

Obama, the first black president, remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, despite it having been more than a decade since he was last elected. He supported Biden during fundraisers, which were among some of his most successful campaign events. He is also a draw at campaign events.

Your support could help activate and sustain the energy – and fundraising – for Harris’ campaign. And he’s likely to join Harris’ campaign once she’s officially the presumptive nominee.

Harris and Obama have been in regular contact over the years, with the former president serving as a sounding board since her time as attorney general in California. The two spoke several times in recent days as she worked to consolidate the party’s support for the Democratic nomination following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election bid.

Obama was reportedly among Democratic leaders who secretly urged Biden to reconsider his candidacy. But Obama withheld her support even as Biden, his former vice president, anointed her as his heir apparent.

Instead, Obama said in a statement Sunday: “We will navigate uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that our party’s leaders will be able to create a process from which a remarkable candidate emerges.”

This move was criticized by many Democrats, who considered it an insult. On a Black Men for Harris call this week, several men on the call criticized Obama for keeping his powder dry, especially for a black woman.

One attendee told POLITICO that the frustration in the call was obvious: “The message was, ‘We need to come together as black men to support and protect her and encourage those who haven’t to do so.’”

But the wait before endorsing was intentional. One person familiar with Obama’s thinking said she didn’t want to put her finger on the scale as the party worked through the process of determining its nominee.

“He believed it was important for the party to have a legitimate process where delegates select our new candidate, and he thinks Vice President Harris is off to an impressive start,” the person said.

Now that Harris is clearly on track for the nomination, Obama plans to offer his support to the newly nominated Democratic nominee.

Obama withdrew his support during the 2020 primaries, even though his own vice president was in the race, because he saw himself as an elder statesman who should let the party organically choose its future.

It’s unclear what the actual endorsement will look like, but it’s likely to be more than just a paper statement, according to people familiar with it.

This story originally appeared on Politico.com read the full story