President Biden intends to hit the road to campaign for Vice President Harris in the coming weeks after he ended his own candidacy, telling “CBS Sunday Morning” he will visit Pennsylvania and other states.
Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday that he talks with Harris frequently, and he offered praise for her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).
“He’s my kind of guy. He’s real. He’s smart. I’ve known him for several decades. I think it’s a hell of a team,” Biden said.
The president brushed aside questions about his health as he presides over the final five months of his time in office and signaled he would be a visible presence as the campaign heats up.
“Look, I had a really, really bad day in that debate because I was sick. But I have no serious problem,” Biden said. “I was talking to [Pennsylvania] Gov. Shapiro, who’s a friend…he and I are putting together a campaign tour in Pennsylvania. I’m going to be campaigning in other states as well. And I’m going to do whatever Kamala thinks I can do to help most.”
Biden has yet to appear on the trail either with Harris or on his own since he announced on July 21 that he would not seek reelection amid pressure from other Democrats to step aside following a disastrous debate performance against former President Trump.
Harris has consolidated support among elected Democrats and rejuvenated base voters, drawing huge crowds this week in multiple battleground states.
And while polls had shown Trump with a steady lead over Biden nationally and in key battleground states, polls in recent days have shown Harris and Trump running neck-and-neck.
Biden may be an asset with certain sets of voters, particularly older voters who could be critical in November’s race. And he cited his ability to navigate the country’s emergence from the coronavirus pandemic and the economic recovery as examples of how he hoped history would remember his presidency.
But his overall approval rating remains mired around 40 percent, as it has for much of his presidency. A FiveThirtyEight average of approval rating polls showed Biden’s sat at 39 percent.