Biden to campaign for VP Harris, justifies decision to opt out of prez race

US President Joe Biden has described his decision to drop out of the presidential race as "the right thing to do" and said he would campaign with his deputy Kamala Harris, whom he has endorsed as the Democratic Party's new nominee, for the November general elections.

In a telephonic address on Monday to his former campaign team, which has now been rechristened Harris Campaign, Biden urged the members to "embrace" Vice President Harris (59) while asserting that the name of the campaign has changed but the mission remains the same -- defeating Donald Trump.

Biden's decision to nominate Harris follows weeks of intense pressure from fellow Democrats after his disastrous presidential debate performance against his Republican rival and former US President Donald Trump last month.

The 82-year-old US president, who is in self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, called the campaign headquarters on Monday moments before Harris made the maiden address to the team.

"If I didn't have Covid, I'd be sitting there with you, standing there with you. I'm so proud of what you've all done. Covid is keeping me out of people's hair for the next three or four days, but I'm going to be on the road, and I'm not going anywhere.

"It has kept me away a little bit, but I want people to remember that what we have done has been incredible and we're going to get so much more done," Biden told the team over the phone.

He urged the staffers of his former campaign team to embrace Kamala Harris, work unitedly and defeat Trump.

"I want to tell the team, embrace her. She's the best. I want to thank everybody for their effort. I know yesterday's news is surprising and hard for you to hear, but it was the right thing to do. I know it's hard because you poured your heart and soul into me to help us win this thing, help me get this nomination, help me win the nomination, and then go on to win the presidency," the incumbent US president said.

"But you're an amazing team... I think we made the right decision. I know how hard you've worked and how many sacrifices you've made. So many of you uprooted your lives for me -- the kind of commitment few people make for anything these days, but you made it," he told the campaign team.

Biden said that the name has changed but the mission hasn't changed at all.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be out there in the campaign with Kamala. I'm going to work like hell, both as a sitting president, getting legislation passed, as well as campaigning.

"What we still need to save is democracy. Trump is still a danger to the community. He's a danger to the nation. Just ask my foreign policy colleagues, my counterparts and other people around the world and at home. I'm hoping you'll give every bit of your heart and soul that you gave to me to Kamala," the president added.

Kevin Munoz, the spokesperson for Harris' campaign, has claimed that there has been a groundswell behind Kamala Harris and the campaign has raised USD 81 million in its first 24 hours, adding to the near quarter-of-a-billion dollar war chest already amassed this election cycle.

Though Biden's endorsement almost seals Harris' position as the presidential nominee of her party, she still needs to get elected by the party's delegates during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago from August 19-22.

Biden has won 3,896 delegates as against 1,976 required to win the party's presidential nomination.

In a move that would give her access to the campaign funds, the Biden-Harris campaign amended filings with the Federal Election Commission to rename its principal committee and declare Harris a candidate for president.

Following Biden's decision, Harris, who has been serving as the US' first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president since 2021, immediately secured the endorsement of former president Bill Clinton, thus making it a bit easier for her to win the delegate battle during the party convention.

An "overwhelming majority" of state Democratic Party chairs have announced their support for Vice President Harris as their nominee for president, the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC) has said in a statement.