Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced on Tuesday Kamala Harris would be his vice-presidential running mate to try to unseat Donald Trump in the November election. She becomes the first Black woman and first South Asian to run for US States Vice-President.
In her first public statement as a nominee, she said he was “honoured” to join Biden “and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief” on her Twitter account with a Biden-Harris banner on top.
Harris, a senator from California, is a deeply experienced politician already battle-tested by the rigours of the 2020 presidential campaign as they head into the final stretch of the 3 November.
“I have the great honour to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden said on Twitter.
Trump said he was “surprised” Biden chose Harris because she was “nasty” and disrespectful” during the primaries, speaking on Tuesday at a White House briefing.
Former President Barack Obama said “Biden nailed this decision”, and said Harris “is more than prepared for the job”, in a tweet.The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hilary Clinton called Harris “an incredible public servant and leader” and would be “a strong partner” for Biden, she said in a tweet.
Harris, who became only the second Black woman to hold a US Senate seat when she was elected in 2016, would be relied on to help drive the Black vote – the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency.
Four years ago, the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Clinton’s upset loss to Trump.Harris, 55, a former prosecutor and state attorney general in California, is well known for her sometimes-aggressive questioning style in the Senate, most notably of Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
As a presidential candidate, she also took Biden to task in a nationally televised debate over his past stances on mandatory busing for students as a means to desegregate schools.