Harris and Biden urge Democrats to fight on in rare joint appearance
US Vice President Kamala Harris embraces US President Joe Biden prior to speaking during the Democratic National Committee's Holiday Reception in Washington, DC, on Dec 15, 2024. (Photo: AFP/ Saul Loeb)
WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made a rare post-election joint appearance on Sunday (Dec 15) to thank donors who raised more than US$2 billion during the unsuccessful 2024 election cycle, and to urge Democrats to keep fighting for their values.
KEY QUOTES
"Our spirit is not defeated. We are not defeated ... We are strong, we are clear about why we are in this," Harris told guests at a holiday party hosted by the Democratic National Committee.
"We cannot let any circumstance or situation or individual ever take away our power ... we know what we stand for, and that's why we know what to fight for."
Biden added that it was critical to keep fighting. "My dad would say, when you get knocked down, you've just got to get up, get up. The measure of a person or a party is how fast they get up."
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Democrats are agonising over the Nov 5 election results, which saw Harris lose all seven battleground states, the electoral college vote and the popular vote to Trump.
Harris and Biden's joint appearance, along with their spouses, was a show of unity after an election that has resulted in finger-pointing across the party.
The duo have rarely appeared together in public since Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July.
WHAT’S NEXT
Harris' future is uncertain, even though some Democrats are urging her to run for governor of California, her home state.
Biden, who leaves office on Jan 20, has said he intends to stay active in politics and work to heal deep divisions roiling the US, a message he repeated jokingly on Sunday.
"The bad news for you all is I ain't going nowhere. We're going to stay engaged."
