Former Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Divided country, divided church TV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month MORE threw his support behind Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE’s presidential campaign on Thursday, saying that the former vice president is “uniquely the person running for president who can beat Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Pelosi: Trump Supreme Court pick 'threatens' Affordable Care Act MORE” in 2020.

“I believe Joe Biden is the President our country desperately needs right now, not because I’ve known Joe so long, but because I know Joe so well,” Kerry, a former U.S. senator and the Democratic Party’s 2004 presidential nominee, said in a statement released by Biden’s campaign.

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“I’ve never before seen the world more in need of someone who on day one can begin the incredibly hard work of putting back together the world Donald Trump has smashed apart.”



Kerry is expected to join Biden on his bus tour in Iowa on Friday before traveling to New Hampshire with the former vice president on Sunday, Biden’s team said.



Kerry’s endorsement comes at a critical time for Biden’s campaign. The former vice president has seen his front-runner status challenged in recent months, as rivals like Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE have made gains in Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that hold the first nominating contests of 2020.



At the same time, he has lagged behind his top rivals in fundraising, ending the most recent fundraising quarter with less than $9 million in the bank.



Biden and Kerry served together in the Senate for more than two decades. They worked together once again in the administration of former President Obama, Biden as vice president and Kerry as secretary of State.



Kerry is the second Obama administration Cabinet member to endorse Biden in the presidential race. Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thomas James VilsackUSDA: Farm-to-school programs help schools serve healthier meals OVERNIGHT MONEY: House poised to pass debt-ceiling bill MORE backed Biden’s White House bid last month.



Kerry has been a frequent critic of Trump, decrying the president’s decisions to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and a nuclear deal with Iran, both of which were negotiated under the Obama administration.



In his statement, Kerry focused heavily on Biden’s foreign policy experience, saying the former vice president is the leader capable of restoring the United States’s prominence in the world following Trump’s presidency.



“Joe will defeat Donald Trump next November,” Kerry said. “He’s the candidate with the wisdom and standing to fix what Trump has broken, to restore our place in the world, and improve the lives of working people here at home.”