Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Wilmington: "It's all at stake".
Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFPIt was a highly anticipated appearance, barely 24 hours after his deputy was announced: For the first time, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appeared together as Democratic nominees for the White House. In Wilmington (in Biden's home state of Delaware) they both outlined their vision of an America after Donald Trump - and went harshly with it.
"Whining is what Donald Trump can do best," said Biden at the appearance, which ran according to strict social distancing rules. Here, too, the Democrats provided a clear contrast to the incumbent's appearance.
Biden had made Harris a so-called running mate on Tuesday. The 55-year-old could become the first woman and first black woman vice president of the United States. Polls currently see Biden ahead of Trump.
At the appearance in Wilmington, Biden was the first to speak: After the election, he and Harris wanted to eliminate the "mess" that Trump had caused in the US and the world during his tenure. The presidential election in November is a life-changing moment for America, a turning point that will determine the country's path for years, he said.
Harris said: "Everything that is important to us (...), everything is at stake". She added, "America is crying out for leadership." Trump is a president who cares more about himself than about the people who elected him. "In just 83 days we have the chance to choose a better future for our country."
Dealing with the virus in particular was a point of attack
Harris referred to the US reaction to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014: "Back then, Barack Obama and Joe Biden were doing their jobs". A consistent reaction by the USA, which had also drawn other states along, had prevented the virus from spreading further.
"Compare that with the situation today," said Harris. Other countries fought the virus, the incumbent president is promoting alleged miracle drugs that he saw on Fox News. She is likely to allude to Trump's repeated references to a malaria drug that, according to doctors, does not help against the coronavirus.
"There's a reason the virus hits America so hard: Trump never took the problem seriously," said the Democrat. The behavior of the president is the reason that every 80 seconds a person in America dies from the effects of the virus.
Icon: The mirrorjok / dpa
