Kamala Harris delivered her first remarks since announcing her run to replace her boss Joe Biden as president on Monday. The remarks were already scheduled as part of a White House event on the South Lawn celebrating the NCAA championship teams from the 2023-24 athletic season.

Harris said that Biden wanted to be on the South Lawn celebrating today, but that he is "feeling much better and recovering fast and he's looking forward to getting back on the road." She spoke to Biden's "legacy of accomplishment over the past three years," saying it was historically unprecedented and that he's "already surpassed" the legacy of presidents who had served two terms, despite his not-yet-complete single term in office. "I am first hand witness," she said, "that every day, our President Joe Biden fights for the American people and we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation." With that, she welcomed the "great athletes" to the White House and spoke to their "grit and determination."

"You remind all of us what can be achieved with hard work and ambition," she said, leaning into the concept of teamwork. "Wherever you go from here, and know this, you will always be champions and we will always be proud of you."

It was only hours before, on Sunday, that President Biden's X account announced that he would be stepping away from the presidential race, and just moments afterwards endorsed Harris to succeed him at the top of the Democrat Party ticket. 

Harris then launched her own campaign for president, just as many said that Biden should resign the White House. The message from lawmakers who said he should step down altogether was that if Biden isn't fit to run for office, how can he continue holding office for the next four months? Biden has been at his home in Delaware, not the White House, since it was announced that he was diagnosed with Covid last Wednesday in Nevada. He cancelled all campaign events and returned home. He has not been seen publicly since getting off Air Force One and he has not spoken publicly since he withdrew from the race. His letter said that he would address his decision later this week. 

Harris was endorsed by many top Dems, including Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Gavin Newsom of California. She was also endorsed by Dem lawmakers, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez among them, though she had railed against the notion that Biden should drop out of the race only a week before.