Joe Biden has selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 presidential contest.

Announcing the pick on Tuesday afternoon, Biden wrote on Twitter, “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. Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau. I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I’m proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign.”

Responding to Biden’s selection of her, Sen. Harris wrote on Twitter, “@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for vice president and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.”

Sen. Harris ran for the Democrat presidential nomination in 2020 but dropped out on December 3, 2019, prior to receiving a single vote, due to a lack of funds.

The Trump campaign quickly released a statement slamming Biden’s choice:

“Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received… 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. She is proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left,” campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson said.

Sen. Harris is the first African American woman to be selected as a candidate for vice president, and if Joe Biden is elected as president this November, she would be the first African American woman to serve in that capacity.

She previously served as the Attorney General of California, a position she was elected to in 2010 and reelected to in 2014. During her time as attorney general, she sparked controversy after bringing prosecution charges against the Center for Medical Progress and David Daleiden for releasing undercover videos of Planned Parenthood executives negotiating over prices for fetal tissue procurement from the body parts of aborted preborn babies.

According to Fox News, during the Democrat primary contest, “Harris memorably drew sharp contrasts with Biden when she challenged him on the debate stage over his past resistance to federally mandated desegregation busing.”

A clip of that debate was provided by the Trump Campaign’s Rapid Response Director, Andrew Clark.

“I do not believe you are a racist… But I also believe, and it is personal, it was actually very hurtful, to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” Kamala stated.

Biden, during the Democrat primary, also switched his position on the Hyde Amendment which prohibits taxpayer dollars from directly funding abortions. After supporting the Hyde Amendment for his entire career in politics, he reversed course announcing that he could “no longer” support the amendment.

Sen. Harris questioned Biden on this point during the Democrat primary debates:

“Why did it take you so long to change your position on the Hyde Amendment? Why did it take so long until you were running for president to change your position on the Hyde Amendment?” Sen. Harris asked.

Biden’s selection of Harris as his vice-presidential pick indicates that the two have since smoothed things over, though Sen. Harris’ criticism of Biden is likely to be brought up again during the final three months of the presidential campaign.

Sen. Harris will face off against Vice President Mike Pence during the vice-presidential debate on October 7, 2020.

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Photo from Maverick Pictures / Shutterstock.com

 

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