2016 US Presidential Elections - President Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally in North Carolina Tuesday July 05,2016

After months on the sidelines, President Barack Obama joined Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally in North Carolina on Tuesday July 05,2016, telling voters he was ready to "pass the baton" to his former secretary of state.

Obama took the microphone in Charlotte, chanting "Hillary!" and told the crowd there had never been a candidate as prepared to be president as Clinton, his rival in 2008 for the Democratic nomination.

"I've run my last campaign, and I couldn't be prouder of the things we've done together, but I'm ready to pass the baton," Obama said, in what was likely to be the first of many trips this year on Clinton's behalf.
"I know Hillary Clinton is going to take it, and I know she can run that race," he said.

Obama was returning the favour after Clinton backed him in 2008's general election. This year, he waited while she battled US Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination before endorsing Clinton in June  2016 once she became the party's presumptive nominee.