Kamala Harris is Biden's VP pick
Presumptive democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, has picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate… making her the first Black woman in U.S. history to be on a major presidential ticket.
Biden on Twitter called Harris a quote “fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants.”
Biden, the former vice president under Barack Obama, had pledged to pick a woman as his running mate… and was under increasing pressure from some Democratic leaders and activists for her to be African American.
And now - Harris will be relied on to help drive the African-American vote – the Democratic Party’s most loyal constituency.
In Harris, a senator from California who made her own run for the White House before ending it and endorsing Biden, he gains a deeply experienced politician already battle-tested by the campaign as they head into the final stretch.
On Twitter, Biden highlighted the personal connection Harris had with his late son, Beau - saying: "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."
"She did very, very poorly in the primaries, as you know..."
President Donald Trump bashed Harris during a Tuesday briefing.
"She was very disrespectful to Joe Biden."
And within minutes of Biden's announcement - the Trump campaign's senior advisor issued a statement mocking Kamala as Biden's quote 'political living will'.
Biden’s pick has drawn an unusual amount of attention given his age.
If he defeats Trump, he would be 78 on inauguration day, making him the oldest U.S. president in history.
It is possible he may only seek one four-year term, leaving the Vice President teed up for the highest office in just a few years.
Biden and Harris will formally accept the party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention next week.
