Biden talks about passing torch in address

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro repeatedly declined on Monday to say whether he would accept an offer to be Kamala Harris' running mate, telling reporters at an event in Pittsburgh that he would "not engage in hypotheticals."

"I'm not going to engage in hypotheticals. This is a deeply personal decision the vice president will make. She will make it on her own timetable and on her own timeline," he said. "She needs to choose someone that she's prepared to govern with, campaign with, and someone that she feels most comfortable with. That decision should be made free of any sort of political pressure."

When asked whether he and Harris, who spoke Sunday, had discussed whether he is under consideration for the position, Shapiro said their conversation was "all about how we beat Donald Trump."

"I spoke to the vice president yesterday shortly after I spoke to the president. You know what we focused on? Defeating Donald Trump. Our conversation was all about how we beat Donald Trump to protect our freedoms in this commonwealth," he said.

The Harris campaign claims it has raised $81 million in the last 24 hours.

The haul includes donations raised across the campaign, Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, it said.

"The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris represents exactly the kind of grassroots energy and enthusiasm that wins elections. Already, we are seeing a broad and diverse coalition come together to support our critical work of talking to the voters that will decide this election," Harris for President spokesperson Kevin Munoz said in a statement to ABC News, in part.

ABC News is not able to independently verify this information until the numbers are reported to the FEC.

President Joe Biden's Chief of Staff Jeff Zients held calls Monday with White House staff members and appointees across the Biden-Harris administration following his decision to end his bid for reelection Sunday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Zients told team members to "have the president's back," keep their "heads down" and "get work done," the sources said.

Biden has told Zients there's more work to do, including "lowering costs for families -- from health care to housing, implementing historic bipartisan legislation, protecting the freedoms of Americans and standing up for democracy," the sources said.

The sources added that Zients also thanked the team and said: "Together as a team -- and under the vice president's leadership, we did everything from bringing the country back from a once-in-a-century pandemic to historic legislation to restoring America's standing in the world."

He closed the calls by telling staff to "run through the tape" and "finish the job," according to the sources.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries stopped short of endorsing Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee yet, but said on Monday that he plans to meet with her and Senate Majority Leader Schumer "in short order."

Jeffries praised Harris, saying: "I'm excited for that meeting. Let me say this -- that Vice President Kamala Harris has excited the community. She has excited the House Democratic Caucus. She's excited the country."

It's not clear when this meeting will occur. "We are waiting on Leader Schumer to get back to town, as well as to get exact confirmation from VP Harris," Jeffries said.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to President Biden for his tremendous leadership, and I'm also thankful for the incredible partnership that he has had for the last three and a half years with Vice President Kamala Harris," Jeffries said.

Jeffries would not say what he and Biden discussed when they recently met privately.

"President Joe Biden is a heroic, patriotic and transformational figure, and he will go down in history as one of the greatest public servants of all time. That much is clear," he said.