Vice President Kamala Harris heaped praise on President Joe Biden on Thursday, leading chants of "Thank you, Joe" in their first public appearance since Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed Harris.
"I could speak all afternoon about the person that I am standing on the stage with," Harris told a crowd of supporters in Maryland. "Our extraordinary president, Joe Biden."
Biden returned the favor. "Folks, I have an incredible partner," he said of Harris. "She's going to make one hell of a president." As much as he seemed to appreciate Harris's introduction, as well as the chanting, Biden was clearly still fuming inside after being forced to step down. He didn't even try to smell Harris's hair—a sign that something was off.
If Biden doubted the sincerity of his former running mate's flattering remarks, it was not without good reason. Axios reported Wednesday that Harris "is hoping to distance herself" from Biden on the economy and other issues on which voters view him unfavorably. Earlier this week, for example, Harris vowed that reducing inflation would be "a day one priority" if elected. (Fact check: She has been in office for more than 1,300 days.)
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