By Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Barack Obama will make his case for Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday at a rally in Pittsburgh aimed at motivating young people to support the Democratic nominee and spurring them to vote in the Nov. 5 election.
Obama, whose White House term ended in 2017, has been a vocal supporter of Harris since she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden stepped aside in July following a poor debate performance 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 while Harris campaigns in Nevada, is the first of several events he plans to do in battleground states across the country in the coming weeks.
Obama will say Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, her running mate, are uniquely positioned to lead the United States at this moment, according to his adviser Eric Schultz.
“He’ll also talk about the enormous stakes and the risks involved in returning President Trump into office,” 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 expected to campaign further for Harris as well.
Harris was an early supporter of Barack Obama’s own presidential bid, and he has helped her behind the scenes as the party’s 2024 standard-bearer, encouraging her to tap talent to bolster her campaign, which she did.
The former president is viewed by some as having helped usher Biden out of the race after Democrats’ worries about the 81-year-old leader’s age and abilities skyrocketed after his June debate against Trump.
Harris and Trump remain in a close race, and winning Pennsylvania could be key to winning the White House.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
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