By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Barack Obama will make his case to Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday at a rally in Pittsburgh aimed at motivating young people to support the Democratic candidate and urging them to vote in the election of November 5.
Obama, whose term in the White House ended in 2017, has been an outspoken supporter of Harris since she rose to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden stepped aside in July following a poor debate against Republican former President Donald Trump.
Obama is still popular with the party’s base. His rally at the University of Pittsburgh, which he will headline as Harris campaigns in Nevada, is the first of several events he plans to host in battleground states across the country in the coming weeks.
Obama will say that Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, are uniquely positioned to lead the United States right now, according to his adviser Eric Schultz.
“He will also talk about the enormous stakes and risks associated with President Trump taking office again,” Schultz said.
Obama and his wife Michelle gave rousing speeches in support of Harris at the Democratic National Convention in August; The former first lady is also expected to continue campaigning for Harris.
Harris was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s own presidential bid, and he has helped her behind the scenes as the party’s standard-bearer in 2024, encouraging her to tap talent to bolster her campaign, which she did.
Some see the former president as helping Biden out of the race after Democrats’ concerns about the 81-year-old leader’s age and abilities skyrocketed following his June debate against Trump.
Harris and Trump remain in a tight race, and winning Pennsylvania could be the key to winning the White House.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
