Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Black voters at the annual Essence Festival in New Orleans, where she barely mentioned President Biden while discussing the 2024 race. Seen by many Democrats as a potential successor if Biden steps aside, Harris appeared ready to take on the role, focusing on criticizing former President Trump and outlining the stakes of the election.

In her nearly 30-minute speech, she mentioned Biden only once, not addressing the growing movement within her party for the president to bow out of the 2024 race. Instead, she concentrated on Trump, criticizing him for his admiration of dictators and intentions to weaponize the DOJ. She also condemned the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, emphasizing the loss of federal protections for abortion rights.

Harris’s remarks come amid Democratic concerns about Biden’s effectiveness as a candidate against Trump. While Biden has secured the Democratic nomination without a significant challenger, there is growing unease about his ability to serve another term. Despite this, Biden has firmly stated he will remain in the race, recently telling ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos that only an act of God could stop his campaign.