Appearing together at an official event for the first time since Vice President Harris took Biden’s place as the Democratic candidate, President Biden showed his solidarity with Vice President Harris while harshly criticizing former President Trump as “Donald Dump.”
Harris and Biden appeared together on stage at a community college in Largo, Maryland, to Bruce Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own,” waving to the crowd, who held signs about lowering the costs of prescription drugs, and drawing smiles from the entire audience.
Harris spoke first, with Biden standing behind her, marking a complete role reversal since the president dropped his 2024 presidential bid and handed the baton to his vice president to run against Trump after coming under pressure to step down or risk losing the election.
Harris praised the administration’s work on health care affordability and also praised Biden, calling him an “extraordinary human being” as she introduced him.
Biden, meanwhile, returned the compliment and loudly voiced his support: “She’ll be a great president,” he told the crowd.
The president also took a dig at his former presidential rival, Donald Trump, by trying out a new nickname.
“The guy we’re up against, what’s his name? Donald Dump or Donald, but they want to repeal this bill that we passed,” Biden said, referring to health care cuts touted by his administration.
Biden also slammed the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which Trump has distanced himself from during his campaign, and warned that Republicans want to give big pharmaceutical companies a win.
“Let me tell you what our Project 2025 is: We’re going to beat them to the punch. We’re serious about it,” Biden said.
Biden and Harris were in Maryland to tout an estimated $6 billion in savings from the first round of Medicare drug price negotiations, a victory for Democrats who have pledged to reduce health care costs over the pharmaceutical industry.
The savings come from the Anti-Inflation Act of 2022, which President Biden signed into law.
The audience was one of Biden’s most energetic in months, chanting “Thank you, Joe!” throughout the event, especially when Harris spoke and praised his efforts to lower drug prices.
“There is a lot of love for the president in this room, and I think there are many reasons for that. There have been few leaders in this country who have done more than Joe Biden on so many issues, including expanding access to affordable health care. And today we take the next step in that fight. Thank you, Joe,” she added.
Biden is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, after which Harris will speak in Chicago on Thursday to formally accept the presidential nomination, just a month after the president dropped out of the race and endorsed her.
