Harris met with French president Emmanuel Macron in November 2021 to strengthen ties after the contentious cancellation of a submarine program. Another meeting was held in November 2022 during Macron’s visit to the U.S., resulting in an agreement to strengthen U.S.–France space cooperation across civil, commercial, and national security sectors.
In April 2021, Harris said she was the last person in the room before Biden decided to remove all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, adding that Biden had “an extraordinary amount of courage” and “make[s] decisions based on what he truly believes … is the right thing to do.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Biden “insists she be in every core decision-making meeting. She weighs in during those meetings, often providing unique perspectives.” Harris assumed a “key diplomatic role” in the Biden administration, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after which she was dispatched to Germany and Poland to rally support for arming Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.
In April 2023, Harris visited Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and agreed to work to strengthen the space alliance between the U.S. and South Korea. “We renew our commitment to strengthen our cooperation in the next frontier of our expanding alliance, and of course that is space,” Harris said at a joint news conference with Yoon.
In November 2023, Harris pledged that the Biden administration would place no conditions on U.S. aid to Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza. In March 2024, she criticized Israel’s actions during the Israel–Hamas war, saying, “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks…This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in.”
2024 presidential campaign
On July 21, 2024, incumbent president and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden suspended his campaign for reelection in 2024 and endorsed Harris for president. Harris was also endorsed by Jimmy Carter, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama, the Congressional Black Caucus, and many others. In the first 24 hours of her candidacy, her campaign raised $81 million in small-dollar donations, the highest single-day total of any presidential candidate in history.
If elected, Harris would be the first female and first Asian-American president of the United States, and the second African-American president, after Obama. By August 5, Harris had officially secured the nomination via a virtual roll call of delegates. The next day, she announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential running mate. On August 22, 2024, the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention, Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president.
Harris participated in a debate with Trump on September 10; it was widely reported that Harris won the debate.
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