Vance hits campaign trail as Harris team scrambles to consolidate Dem support

JD Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio newly tapped as former President Trump's running mate, is hitting the campaign trail on Monday, as Vice President Harris' team scrambles to consolidate support from Democrats a day after President Biden bowed out of the race.

Vance, who Trump a week ago named as his vice presidential pick on the heels of surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to hold a campaign rally in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, on Monday afternoon. Later Monday evening, Vance is to hold another rally in Radford, Virginia.

For the first time since Biden announced he would no longer seek re-election, Harris spoke at the White House Monday morning during an event honoring NCAA college athletes.

"Our president, Joe Biden, wanted to be here today. He is feeling much better and recovering fast, and he looks forward to getting back on the road," Harris said at the start of her remarks. "And I wanted to say a few words about our president.Joe Biden's legacy of accomplishment over the past three years is unmatched in modern history."

BIDEN STILL HASN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE BOMBSHELL 2024 ANNOUNCEMENT, AS COVID ISOLATION CONTINUES

Harris, who recalled first getting to know Biden through his late son, Beau, championed the president's "honesty, his integrity, his commitment to his faith and his family, his big heart and his love, deep love of our country." She said she is a "firsthand witness that every day our president, Joe Biden, fights for the American people. And we are deeply, deeply grateful for his service to our nation."

Biden, who has been self-isolating in Rehoboth, Delaware, after testing positive for COVID-19 last week, dropped the bombshell announcement Sunday that he would