By Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle endorsed U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid on Friday, the latest move by top Democrats to unite around a new champion against Republican Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election.
The Obamas' endorsement came five days after President Joe Biden, 81, dropped his reelection bid in the face of mounting opposition within his own party, and as a fresh wave of opinion polls show Harris starting to erode Trump's lead.
"We called to say Michelle and I couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the Oval Office," Obama told Harris in a phone call posted in an online video by the campaign.
Smiling as she spoke into a cellphone, Harris expressed her gratitude for the endorsement and their long friendship.
"Thank you both. It means so much. And we're gonna have some fun with this too," said Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American vice president, who would also be the nation's first female president if she prevails in November.
Barack Obama, the first Black U.S. president, and Michelle remain among the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, almost eight years after he left office. A Reuters/Ipsos poll early this month showed that 55% of Americans -- and 94% of Democrats -- viewed Michelle Obama favorably, higher approval than Harris' 37% nationally and 81% within the party.
Obama has lent his support to Biden during big-money fundraisers, which were among some of the biggest blockbuster events of his campaign.
The endorsement could help boost support and fundraising for Harris' campaign, and it signals Obama is likely to get on the campaign trail for Harris.
The party has quickly coalesced around the vice president, who gathered support from enough Democratic delegates on Monday to secure her position as the nominee.
TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU
Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the former president's Florida resort on Friday, a day after Netanyahu sat down with Biden and Harris in separate meetings in Washington.
Trump greeted Netanyahu warmly and told reporters they have a "very good relationship," dismissing any suggestion of tensions between them.
Harris struck a more forceful tone than Biden in her public remarks on Thursday, pushing Netanyahu to help reach a ceasefire in Gaza. In a televised statement after their talks, Harris said, "It is time for this war to end," and expressed concern about the conflict's toll on Palestinian civilians.
Trump called her remarks "disrespectful" on Friday.
The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israel.
Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed more than 39,000, according to Gazan health authorities, and leveled much of the enclave. The response has displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million people and created a humanitarian crisis.
The Biden administration has drawn criticism from some Democrats for not pressing Netanyahu more to protect Palestinian civilians.
Trump has also called for a swift end to the war, telling Fox News on Thursday that Israel was getting "decimated with this publicity."
Trump's former White House doctor, Ronny Jackson, said on Friday "there is absolutely no evidence" that anything other than a bullet struck the former president' ear during an assassination attempt two weeks ago.
The post on X from Jackson, who examined Trump after the shooting, also said it was "wrong" for FBI Director Christopher Wray to tell a congressional panel this week that it was unclear whether a bullet or shrapnel hit Trump's ear. Trump has said repeatedly that it was a bullet, but his campaign has not released any medical records.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington and Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia; Additional reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis)
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