While speaking at the Democratic National Committee's holiday party, President Joe Biden turned toward Kamala Harris and told the vice president she was "not going anywhere."
While critics may suggest that about Harris' political future, Biden intended to explain why he chose the former California senator to be his running mate four years ago.
"It's also been an incredible honor to serve with someone of immense character as she demonstrated throughout her entire career — Kamala Harris," Biden said during remarks Sunday at the event.
"I knew what I was doing when I asked her to be my vice president. She always served this country with purpose and integrity, and she always will. And you're not going anywhere, kid — because we're not going to let you go."
Harris, who mostly has stayed out of the public eye since her election defeat to President-elect Donald Trump in November, also attended the event. She has not indicated what her next career move will be, though possibilities include running for governor of California in 2026 or trying to win the Democrat nomination for president in 2028.
Despite Trump's landslide victory, Biden insisted his administration left the country better off than when he took office.
"The one thing I've always believe about public service, especially the presidency, is the importance of asking yourself, 'Have we left the country in better shape than we found it,'" he said.
"Today, I can say with every fiber in my being, with all my heart, the answer to that question is a resounding yes."
Biden, who will leave office when Trump is sworn in Jan. 20, took a swipe at his successor by referencing the 2021 attack at the Capitol.
"Just two weeks before being sworn in, we just witnessed something we though would never happen in America, a violent insurrection encouraged by the man sitting in the White House on Jan. 6," Biden told the DNC crowd.
"We've come a long way since then. We passed historical legislation, laws that are literally building the strongest economy in the world … laws that, when fully implemented, are going to change America for decades to come."
The 82-year-old president also complimented his wife Jill Biden.
"It's been the honor of my life being your president," he said, "but the title I'm most proud of is being Jill's husband.
"The bad news for you all is I ain't going nowhere. We're going to stay engaged."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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