Joe Biden Says He Would Welcome Kamala Harris As His 2020 Running Mate
In the wake of news that California Sen. Kamala Harris announced the suspension of her 2020 presidential campaign, former Vice President Joe Biden told a group during an Iowa campaign stop that the former candidate could be his 2020 running mate.
According to The Washington Examiner, in front of a crowd on Wednesday at Iowa State University, Biden remarked on Harris’ departure from the race, offering praise for the California Democrat before suggesting she would make a fine running mate or even a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
“We lost a really good one, the senator from California,” Biden said. “She is capable of being president or vice president or on the Supreme Court or attorney general. Her capacity is unlimited.”
He was then specifically asked if he would consider the possibility of Harris joining his ticket, should he progress to the point in which he would need to consider a 2020 running mate.
“Of course I would,” Biden responded.
On Tuesday, after Harris’ campaign made the announcement, Biden reacted by labeling Harris as a “first-rate candidate.”
Biden’s kind words for Harris come several months after the former candidate scored major points in the first Democratic primary debate by attacking Biden on past issues specifically related to race, such as desegregation and busing. The exchange earned Harris an unexpected quick boost in the polls and in public confidence, as the senator earned praise for taking on Biden, who was the clear front-runner in the race at the time.
Biden was even asked about the encounter he had with Harris in that first debate and responded by implying that it was already water under the bridge to him.
“I’m not good at keeping hard feelings,” Biden said.
Unfortunately for Harris, the momentum from her surprisingly strong first debate performance didn’t last long as she began a slow fall from top-tier candidate status to the lower ranks of the large Democratic candidate field, in polls from battleground states and on a national level.
As of Monday, Harris’ Real Clear Politics rolling polling average hovered around 3.2 percent, down from a previous high of 15.4 percent.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, President Donald Trump’s campaign weighed in on Harris’ exit from the race on Tuesday by posting a tweet congratulating Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
“BREAKING NEWS: @KamalaHarris has ended her campaign for president. Congratulations @TulsiGabbard!” an image posted by Trump’s official campaign account tweeted.
The congratulatory message was presumably a reference to long-standing clashes between Gabbard and Harris on the campaign trail and especially during past Democratic primary debates.
