Harris, Biden to hit trail for first time since switch-up

REHOBOTH BEACH, United States —  Kamala Harris and Joe Biden will next week make their first joint campaign trip since the US president's shock decision to drop out of the 2024 White House race against Donald Trump.

Seeking to burnish his legacy in his final months in office and support the new Democratic ticket, Biden will appear alongside his vice president at an event in the state of Maryland near Washington on August 15.

The pair would "discuss the progress they are making to lower costs for the American people", the White House said in a statement Friday, adding that further details would be released later.

Inflation remains a weak spot for Democrats ahead of November's election.

Harris has fired up the Democratic Party since Biden announced he was stepping aside following a disastrous debate against Trump that highlighted concerns about his age and mental acuity.

The first female, Black and South Asian vice president in US history has held a series of packed rallies, pulled in record fundraising and wiped out Republican ex-president Trump's poll lead.

In contrast Biden has kept a low profile with few public events, in what has become a lame duck presidency with nearly six months still until his successor takes power in January.

The president, who is currently spending a long weekend at his Delaware beach house, had not been expected to make any major political appearances in support of Harris until the Democratic National Convention starting on August 19 in Chicago.

But there have also been signs that the veteran Democrat is keen to promote his legacy as he prepares to bow out from a nearly five-decade career in US politics.

Limited schedule

Part of that is doing whatever he can to help secure Harris's victory against Trump, his nemesis and the man that he beat in the 2020 election.

Harris was a very visible presence at Biden's side in a historic moment last week when they both welcomed home US reporter Evan Gershkovich and other detainees freed in a huge prisoner swap with Russia.

News outlet Politico reported that Harris now wanted Biden's support in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Michigan where he is still popular, especially with older white voters.

But he would ensure that the spotlight stayed on Harris, embarking mainly on a limited campaign schedule in the fall, it said.

Biden meanwhile stepped into the breach earlier this week to warn against any repeat of the events after the 2020 election, when Trump disputed his loss and his supporters stormed the US capitol.

In his first interview since dropping out of the election, Biden told broadcaster CBS that he was "not confident at all" of a peaceful transfer of power if Trump loses a second time.

One other priority for Biden's remaining days in office is to push for a ceasefire to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza -- an issue that is still divisive for Democrats.

Biden and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar have invited the warring parties to resume talks on August 15 -- the same day as his joint appearance with Harris -- to push for a deal.