The president called into a meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris at what was once their joint campaign headquarters, the first time he has been heard since isolating with Covid last week.
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People in Rehoboth Beach, Del., expressed their thanks and support toward President Joe Biden near his home on Sunday.
President Biden declared on Monday that he was “not going anywhere” and would be “fully, fully engaged,” as he vowed to campaign hard to elect Vice President Kamala Harris and to use his final six months in office to keep pressing for his priorities at home and abroad.
In his first public comments since dropping his bid for a second term on Sunday, Mr. Biden called into a meeting led by Ms. Harris at the Wilmington, Del., headquarters of what used to be their joint campaign, one that is now entirely hers. He thanked his “amazing team” for all their work on his behalf and beseeched them now to turn their energies to Ms. Harris.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mr. Biden said. “I know yesterday’s news was surprising and hard for you to hear,” he went on, “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.”
The president, who has been out of public view since isolating with Covid on Wednesday night at his vacation house in Rehoboth Beach, Del., sounded a little hoarse but strong. The White House physician said earlier in the day that the president had been recovering well and that his symptoms were “almost completely resolved.”
“The name has changed at the top of the ticket, but the mission hasn’t changed at all,” Mr. Biden told the campaign team. “And by the way, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be out there on the campaign with her, with Kamala. I’m going to be working like hell, both as a sitting president getting legislation passed as well as campaigning. You know, we still need to save this democracy, and Trump is still a danger to the community. He’s a danger to the nation.”
Mr. Biden seemed determined to drive home that message, repeating the phrase “not going anywhere” three times during his four-minute talk.
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Source: nytimes.com
