Harris and Biden appeared together for the first time since the ticket change

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden appeared at an event in Maryland together for the first time since the president finished running for a second term and Mrs. Harris took his place as the nominee of the Democratic Alliance.

Thursday’s event celebrated a deal recently announced by the Biden administration to dramatically reduce the cost of 10 common prescription drugs for millions of Americans.

But it also gave a glimpse into the dynamic of the couple, weeks of swapping the Democratic Party ticket. Mr. Biden praised Ms. Harris, giving her his approval in the crowd.

“I have a wonderful partner in the progress we’ve made,” the president said. “He’s going to make a hell of a president.”

The White House said about 2,300 people attended Thursday’s rally in Upper Marlboro, Maryland — a Democratic stronghold less than an hour outside Washington DC.

But in addition to the policy announcement, Mr. Biden promoted his vice president. He brought the crowd to their feet many times.

Warm feelings were shared with Ms. Harris.

“There is a lot of love in this room for our president,” he said. “Few leaders in our nation have done more, on more issues, including expanding access to affordable health care, than Joe Biden.”

Thousands lined up in the summer heat for a chance to see Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris speak. Social media video showed hundreds in line as the venue reached capacity.

It is the latest in a series of events hosted by Ms Harris that have drawn large crowds, marking a shift in power in the presidential race.

The excitement comes from polling data, too. A recent poll from the Cook Political Report suggests that Ms. Harris is erasing the polling trails of former President Donald Trump in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Vivian Strong waited three hours to get into Thursday’s event. He hopes to be part of a historic moment, he told the BBC.

“I feel an urgency to ensure that he is elected,” he said. “I’d hate to have another man in charge of another boy.”

Before the president and vice president entered the stage, some fans led the crowd in singing Howard University – the once black university Ms. Harris attended in Washington, DC.

Many of the vice president’s supporters wore pink and green, the colors of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA) to which Ms. Harris belonged.

Linda Jones, who studied with Howard and is a member of AKA, said their shared recognition makes her happy. But he was eager to see Mr. Biden speak.

“I’m happy for President Biden to achieve something he’s worked so hard for,” Ms. Jones told the BBC, referring to the drug deal. “He’s a good man and I’m very sad that he’s gone with the cloud, now I understand [this policy] it’s another development for him.”