Vice President Kamala Harris made her first public appearance as a 2024 presidential candidate on Monday, though she did not mention her bid.
Speaking on the White House South Lawn to an audience of young people for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Sports Day, Harris opened her remarks by sharing that President Joe Biden wished he could have attended and was “recovering fast” from COVID. “He looks forward to getting back on the road,” Harris said.
She did not directly address her new candidacy for president, considering it was an official White House event.
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At one point, Harris turned to praising Biden and thanking him for his service.
“Joe Biden’s legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history,” she said, breaking to allow the audience to applaud.
Kamala Harris speaking to young student athletes at the White House South Lawn in her first appearance as a 2024 presidential candidate.
Nathan Howard/ReutersHarris briefly shared how she first came to know the president through his son, Beau, the former attorney general of Delaware.
“The qualities that Beau revered in his father are the same qualities that I have seen every day in our president: his honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart, and his love, deep love, of our country,” she said. “I am first hand witness that, everyday, our president fights for the American people and we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation.”
She then moved on to congratulating the championship-winning student athletes in the audience, some of whom are scheduled to participate in the Paris Olympics. Harris waxed poetic about teamwork.
“You all know what it means to commit and to persevere, and you know what it means to count on teammates,” she said. “During the course of a long season, sports teams become a family. You rely on each other. You develop relationships that will last a lifetime. And when you play, you inspire people across our nation.
Harris spoke for slightly more than five minutes, wearing a signature dark suit.
Her speech was sandwiched between remarks by Lynda Tealer, NCAA senior vice president for championships, and Jordynn Dudley, a championship-winning soccer player.
