This is an adapted excerpt from the July 22 episode of “Morning Joe.”
I’ve had the privilege of working for President Joe Biden. I worked on his 2020 campaign, and once he took the White House, I had the honor of serving as a deputy assistant to the president.
From my time with the president, I can tell you he is a remarkable man, he is a selfless man, and, frankly, what he did on Sunday is something very few elected officials in this country would ever be willing to do.
I can tell you that throughout this entire process, there have been very few people more loyal to the president than the vice president.
I’ve also had the honor of serving Vice President Kamala Harris as both her chief spokesperson and senior adviser. I can tell you that throughout this entire process, there have been very few people more loyal to the president than the vice president.
After Biden threw his support behind Harris on Sunday, the vice president made it clear that she plans to earn the Democratic Party’s nomination. It is my understanding the vice president was on the phone all day long, asking people for their support, not just expecting to get it.
By my count, she has already secured the support of over 100 House Democrats, a dozen Senate Democrats, most of the country’s Democratic governors and several complete state delegations. That’s what I would call working to earn the nomination.
As we look to the weeks ahead, there’s no doubt in my mind that Harris is well-poised to lock up the nomination. But that’s only half the battle. After that comes the hard part: campaigning and winning.
After that comes the hard part: campaigning and winning.
This will not be an easy race. Much has been made about concerns over the president’s age, with many arguing that’s why the race was so close. However, I would argue this race was always going to be close. It was close in 2020, and no matter who is at the top of the Democratic ticket, it’s going to be close this time around.
Now it’s time for Democrats to do the hard work and defeat Donald Trump, not just for the sake of their party, but for the sake of our democracy.
Join Symone Sanders-Townsend, Rachel Maddow and many others on Saturday, Sept. 7, in Brooklyn, New York, for “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” a first-of-its kind live event. You’ll get to see your favorite hosts in person and hear thought-provoking conversations about what matters most in the final weeks of an unprecedented election cycle. Buy tickets here.
Symone D. Sanders Townsend is an author and a co-host of "The Weeknight."