WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� When President dropped out of the presidential race and propelled Vice President into a political vortex, her husband was far from the first to find out.
, in fact, was closer to the last.
At home in California, Emhoff had attended a Sunday morning SoulCycle class in West Hollywood and left his cellphone in the car while going for coffee and a chat with friends in a park.
When Biden's statement posted, Emhoff ultimately saw it on a borrowed phone, but he wasn't sure it was authentic and skipped to the end 鈥� initially missing the key part. When he finally retrieved his phone, it was "self-immolating with the amount of messages and calls," Emhoff told The Associated Press.
And after he reached Harris, 鈥淔irst, it was kinda like, 鈥榃here the ... were you?鈥�' Emhoff said, before recalling he told his wife, 鈥�'I love you, I'm proud of you, I'm here for you, I kinda know what to do."
鈥榃e haven't had time for the history'
Emhoff has demonstrated a flair for defining the role of the over the past three-plus years. He'd become the country's first first gentleman if his wife, the likely Democratic nominee, wins in .
In White House shorthand, Emhoff would elevate from SGOTUS 鈥� second gentleman of the United States 鈥� to FGOTUS.
He's already used to traveling the country championing his wife and the Biden administration's accomplishments. With her now pursuing the nomination, those efforts have gone into overdrive.
鈥淚t happened so suddenly, the change," Emhoff said, 鈥渨e haven鈥檛 had time to really reflect on the history.鈥�
Emhoff, 59, has visited 37 states and 14 countries as second gentleman. He's been to four states since , and he'll be in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine from Monday to Wednesday.
鈥淚鈥檝e picked up a lot more events," Emhoff said, "and events are getting bigger."
He's leading a delegation to the closing ceremonies and will headline a fundraiser there, taking first lady place. The second gentleman is also filling in for Jill Biden, who's scaling back travel with her husband out of the race, at the upcoming on Martha鈥檚 Vineyard in Massachusetts featuring former late-night host David Letterman.
Spreading Harris' campaign message
The vice president has built her early campaign around the theme of freedom, and Emhoff was one of the nascent campaign's first surrogates to trumpet that message last week when he visited an abortion clinic in the Washington suburbs 鈥� an event planned before Biden's announcement.
There, Emhoff decried an environment 鈥渨here freedoms are taken away. Where autonomy is taken away. Where they鈥檙e telling you that you can鈥檛 read this book. They鈥檙e telling you that you can鈥檛 learn these facts. They鈥檙e telling you that you can鈥檛 vote.鈥�
In the interview, Emhoff said of his wife, 鈥淚 have my own way of communicating things and my own way of trying to authentically talk about her and her positions."
He's also no stranger to Harris running for president, having campaigned for her when she ran unsuccessfully in 2020.
鈥淗e鈥檚 like a Swiss Army knife of whatever is necessary," said Deidre DeJear, the Iowa chair for Harris' last campaign. 鈥淚f he needed to hold something for her, he would hold something. He鈥檒l motivate the team, too. He鈥檒l come and put some fire under you, and use his dad voice if he has to.鈥�
DeJear recalled how Harris and Emhoff moved to her state for months in late 2019, and even had Thanksgiving dinner in Des Moines. When Harris was describing how she would make collards and joked that 鈥渂acon is a spice,鈥� Emhoff retorted that she had come up with an apt way to expand the campaign's 鈥渇or the people鈥� mantra.
鈥淭hat could be our new campaign slogan: 'For the people. Bacon is a spice,鈥欌�� he said then.
Today, though, Emhoff said he doesn't see many parallels between that first presidential primary bid and taking on Republican in November.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been vice president for almost four years, she鈥檚 been in the Oval Office, the Situation Room, she鈥檚 been on the world stage,鈥� the second gentleman said of Harris. 鈥淭his is a Kamala Harris who is ready to lead us.鈥�
鈥楪oing to live openly as a Jew鈥�
Emhoff is the to serve as the spouse of a nationally elected U.S. leader. He affixed mezuzahs on the doorposts of the vice president鈥檚 residence, helped compile the first national strategy to combat antisemitism and has led White House Passover celebrations.
The second gentleman also attended the groundbreaking 小蓝视频 for the memorial at the Tree of Life campus in Pittsburgh, where by a gunman driven by hatred of Jews.
鈥淚鈥檓 also going to live openly and proudly as a Jew, and that will never change," Emhoff said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to fight antisemitism, and that鈥檚 never going to change.鈥�
Trump, while addressing a Turning Point USA gathering in Florida on Friday, claimed Harris "doesn鈥檛 like Jewish people.鈥�
has divided many in the United States who might otherwise be more enthusiastic about voting Democratic this fall and led to pro-Palestinian demonstrations over Biden's strong backing of Israel.
Harris is aligned with Biden's policies but is within the party by emphasizing Israel鈥檚 right to defend itself while also focusing on alleviating Palestinian suffering.
The second gentleman's adult daughter, Ella, drew criticism from some corners when she briefly posted on a personal social media account a fundraising link to the for Palestinian Refugees. Israel has moved to ban the group, suggesting it supports terrorists, a charge European leaders says is baseless.
Emhoff was born in New York City, was raised in New Jersey, graduated from California State University, Northridge, and attended law school at the University of 小蓝视频ern California. He gave up a lucrative position as an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer to avoid conflicts of interest once Harris became vice president but served as a visiting law professor at Georgetown University after moving to Washington.
Emhoff and Harris met on a blind date in 2013 and married the following year. It was her first marriage and his second. Harris' stepchildren, Ella and Cole Emhoff, were teenagers when their father remarried.
Republican vice presidential nominee once criticized Harris and other Democratic leaders as a "bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable,鈥� a quote that's resurfaced in the 2024 campaign. At an appearance for his wife in Wisconsin on Saturday, Emhoff didn't mention Vance by name but noted Harris officiated at Cole鈥檚 wedding and flew cross-country through the night to make it to Ella鈥檚 graduation.
鈥淔rom Day 1, she鈥檚 been present, nurturing and fiercely protective of them,鈥� Emhoff said.
After he finally spoke with his wife on the Sunday when Biden bowed out of the race, Emhoff flew to Wilmington, Delaware, early the next morning and met her at what had been Biden campaign headquarters, helping to rally the staff of what was suddenly the Harris campaign.
鈥淚 got to see her for a minute or two and gave her a big hug,鈥� Emhoff said. 鈥淎nd they said, 鈥榃ell, sir, you need to jump out on that stage.鈥欌��
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Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz in McLean, Virginia, and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Will Weissert, The Associated Press
