Pelosi "Harris Will Lead to Victory in November"
Democratic Veterans, Presidential Hopefuls, and Major Donors Rally Behind Harris
Harris Campaign Raises $81 Million in One Day
Campaign Kicks Off... 'Harris vs. Trump' Race Intensifies
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly securing support within the Democratic Party just one day after President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race. Donations to the Harris campaign alone reached $81 million (approximately 112.5 billion KRW) in a single day. With endorsements pouring in from President Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and major donors, the Democratic Party is rallying around Vice President Harris, consolidating its strength. It is expected that Harris will smoothly secure the Democratic presidential nomination and, with just over three months until the November election, the 'Harris vs. Trump' showdown will officially take shape.
On the 22nd (local time), former Speaker Pelosi issued a statement saying, "I am confident that she will lead us to victory this November," expressing her support for Vice President Harris as the Democratic Party's new presidential candidate. She emphasized, "Now we must unite and move forward to overwhelmingly defeat Donald Trump," and added, "We must enthusiastically elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States."
Following President Biden's announcement the previous day that he would not seek re-election and his official endorsement of Vice President Harris, the Democratic Party is quickly rallying around her. Senior Democratic lawmakers such as Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), as well as potential Democratic presidential contenders like California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, have stood by Vice President Harris. Additionally, former Speaker Pelosi, who had remained silent, declared her support for Harris within a day, strengthening the 'Harris momentum.' According to CNN, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also expected to express their support for Vice President Harris as early as today.
The Democratic Party will hold a virtual meeting on the 24th to discuss procedures related to selecting the presidential candidate. Although opinions differ on whether to endorse Harris outright or hold a mini-primary, it is widely expected within the party that Vice President Harris will effectively be confirmed as the nominee. According to a foreign news outlet citing sources, President Biden's decision to withdraw was made after Democratic leaders and donors clearly expressed their intention to support Harris as the new candidate to replace him. However, former President Barack Obama, who has been urging Biden's withdrawal behind the scenes, has yet to reveal whether he supports Vice President Harris.
Major donors supporting the Democratic Party have also joined in declaring their support for Vice President Harris. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Wall Street billionaire George Soros and his family expressed their support for Harris immediately after President Biden's withdrawal announcement. Alex Soros, George Soros's son, wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "Now is the time for all of us to unite around Kamala Harris and defeat Donald Trump," adding, "She is the best and most qualified candidate." The Soros family is a major donor who contributes tens of millions of dollars to the Democratic Party during elections.
Donations to Vice President Harris and the Democratic Party continue to pour in. The Harris campaign announced that within 24 hours of announcing her presidential bid, they raised $81 million from 888,000 donors. The campaign did not disclose the breakdown between large and small donors. The New York Times (NYT) reported that small donors contributed over $90 million (approximately 125 billion KRW) within 24 hours through ActBlue, the Democratic Party's online fundraising platform. Of this, donations received through ActBlue on the 21st, the day President Biden withdrew, amounted to $67 million (approximately 93 billion KRW), marking the largest single-day total ever.
As the Democratic Party and its supporters rally around Vice President Harris, she officially launched her campaign activities on the same day.
Vice President Harris attended a celebration event for the NCAA championship team held in the White House garden, stating, "The achievements Joe Biden has made over the past three years are unparalleled in modern history," and added, "He has already surpassed the accomplishments of most presidents who served two terms in just one term."
This event marked Vice President Harris's first public appearance since President Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race. Later in the afternoon, she will visit Wilmington, Delaware, where President Biden's campaign headquarters is located.
Bloomberg News evaluated, "Vice President Harris is quickly securing the Democratic Party's support base as she works to end the party's turmoil and change the election dynamics to ensure Donald Trump's defeat."
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