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By Andrew Stanton
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Montel Williams, who briefly dated Vice President Kamala Harris in 2001, signaled support for her presidential campaign after initially signaling support for another candidate.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race following weeks of pressure from Democrats concerned about his ability to mount a robust campaign against former President Donald Trump in November. Biden endorsed Harris to lead the ticket, and the party is quickly coalescing around the vice president.
Harris appears to be the front-runner to win the Democratic Party's nomination, as other prominent Democrats have endorsed her campaign. The vice president is now receiving new attention over her stance on key issues—such as abortion, the economy and the Israel-Hamas war—and voters are also learning more about her personal life.
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Williams, a longtime television host, weighed in on the 2024 presidential race after Biden announced his departure, tweeting that he like Maryland Governor Wes Moore before later indicating his support for Harris, without mentioning her by name.
"I'd love to see @iamwesmoore leading the ticket or otherwise on my ballot and I'm ready to campaign. I've watched @GovWesMoore lead my home state of Maryland, and I know leadership when I see it," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
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On Monday, Moore endorsed Harris, praising her "unique ability to energize the Democratic Party base and mobilize a unique coalition" ahead of November.
"Kamala Harris will move us forward, toward a brighter future for all. She is the fighter we need at this moment to realize the full promise of our nation," Moore wrote.
Williams reposted Moore's endorsement, and he highlighted that fact in another post, writing, "Reminding folks I RT'd this." He also responded critically to a TMZ article that suggested he was not supporting the vice president.
"Guys, i hate to ruin your day, but you massively misinterpreted my tweet. I will vote for whomever can beat Trump," he wrote.
Williams has been critical of the media coverage of his past relationship with Harris, writing on Monday, "I've said what I'm going to say about the thing that keeps trending. My friends in the media should think twice about wasting time on a 20+ year old picture—you will find doing so will earn an unpleasant reaction."
When contacted by Newsweek, Jonathan Franks, Williams' publicist, said: "He expressed an opinion which he has expressed for years. This isn't news. It's just a cheap attempt to get clicks."
In August 2019, when Harris was running in the Democratic presidential primary, Williams addressed their relationship, writing on X, "@KamalaHarris and I briefly dated about 20 years ago when we were both single. So what? I have great respect for Sen. Harris. I have to wonder if the same stories about her dating history would have been written if she were a male candidate?"
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