- Joe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the U.S. 2020 election
- Born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, she is the first-ever woman of colour to be chosen for vice-president
- If the Biden campaign wins the election, Kamala Harris will be the first female vice president in U.S. history
- While the move has been met with praise by high-profile democrats, the Trump campaign has slammed Kamala Harris as a “phony”
- Joe Biden and Kamala Harris clashed during the Democratic primaries last year, but have clearly put their differences aside
- It is now 83 days until the November election
Joe Biden has chosen Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the U.S. 2020 election.
The decision comes after an extensive vetting process, with the Democratic nominee officially announced the news via Twitter this morning.
I have the great honor 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.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 11, 2020
Kamala Harris was elected into national office in 2016 as a senator for California, before which she served as San Francisco’s district journey and California’s attorney general.
Born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, Senator Harris is the first-ever woman of colour to run for vice president. Should the Biden campaign win the election, she will also be the first female vice president in U.S. history.
This has been an important part of Joe Biden’s selection process, as racial tensions in the United States continue to escalate following the murder of George Floyd in police custody in May. Biden, who is a former vice-president himself, has also pledged to name a black woman to the supreme court if he is elected.
The VP pick was met with praise by some big names, including former President Barack Obama, who said Biden “nailed” the decision.
I’ve known Senator @KamalaHarris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing. pic.twitter.com/duJhFhWp6g
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 11, 2020
Bill Clinton also chimed in via Twitter.
This is a terrific choice! @KamalaHarris will be a great partner and she and @JoeBiden make a strong team.
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) August 11, 2020
So, what are the Democrats’ opponents saying about the move?
Biden-Harris criticisms
At the forefront of the criticisms of Biden’s vice president pick are the obvious tensions between Biden and Harris during the Democratic primaries.
Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson released a statement this morning, slamming the Democrat running mates.
“Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received,” Katrina said.
“Clearly, Phony Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democrat Party,” she said.
The Trump spokesperson is referring to an incident in a June 2019 primary debate where Kamala Harris went after Joe Biden’s position on the issue of school busing as a way to desegregate schools.
Another concern regarding the vice president pick is that Joe Biden, who would be 78 when inaugurated, will be the oldest U.S. president ever. He has referred to himself as a “transition candidate”, and as such, Kamala Harris has a higher chance of becoming president if Biden can’t finish his full term.
“In her failed attempt at running for president, Kamala Harris gleefully embraced the left’s radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders’ government takeover of healthcare,” the Trump campaign said. “She is proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left.”
What’s more, Harris told reporters in April 2019 that she believed women who accused Joe Biden of inappropriate touching when he began the race for the presidency.
Clearly, the two have put their differences aside. It’s now 83 days until the November election, and time will tell if the Biden-Harris duo will be enough to topple the Trump campaign.