WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came out Tuesday in full support of Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her a "leading voice" in the Biden administration after President Joe Biden endorsed her after ending his re-election campaign. 

Blinken reflected on his three-and-a-half years serving in the Biden administration alongside Harris, saying in his first public remarks since the surprise announcement that Harris has been a "leading voice" for the US around the world. That includes in the Middle East, where Blinken said the vice president has been "deeply engaged" and has been "trying to find a peaceful path forward."

"I've been able to observe her very closely in the Situation Room, in the Oval Office, around the world, as a leading voice for American foreign policy and for our diplomacy," he told reporters at the State Department.

"She's been a leading voice in our administration, and what I've observed is someone who asks the penetrating questions, who cuts to the chase and is intensely focused on the interests of the American people, and making sure that our foreign policy is doing everything it can to advance those interests. And it's really been a privilege for me to see that up close these last three and a half years," he said.

Biden had for a month resisted a growing chorus of Democratic calls for him to end his re-election campaign following a disastrous debate performance against Republican nominee Donald Trump in June that further raised questions about his mental acuity and his ability to defeat the ex-president in November.

Biden offered Harris his "full support and endorsement" as he stepped aside, but that does not automatically grant her the party's nomination. That is going to be left to the party's delegates, but much of the once crowded field of potential competitors have stepped down and endorsed Harris in a bid to strengthen the party's unity ahead of November's polls.

The Democratic National Committee's rules committee is expected to meet Wednesday afternoon to establish a framework to formally select the party's nominee.