US Vice President Kamala Harris lauded President Joe Biden's "patriotic" decision not to seek reelection on Sunday and pledged to secure the Democratic nomination and defeat Donald Trump.

"With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else," Harris stated.

"I am honored to have the president's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump," she added.

Biden's endorsement of Harris marks a significant moment in the Democratic Party as she prepares to take the lead in the upcoming election. Harris emphasized her commitment to unifying the party and the country in the face of what she views as a critical battle against Trump.

'Worse than Biden'

Donald Trump's campaign team quickly responded to Biden's endorsement of Harris, sharply criticizing her potential leadership.

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"Harris will be even worse for the people of our nation than Joe Biden. Harris has been the Enabler in Chief for Crooked Joe this entire time. They own each other's records, and there is no distance between the two," the campaign said in a statement.

The Republican camp was swift to denounce both Harris and Biden, with House Speaker Mike Johnson, for example, stressing that Biden must resign as President "immediately".

"If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough," said Johnson.

Biden announced earlier that he was withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Vice President  Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.