WASHINGTON D.C.—California Sen. Kamala Harris, known for her hardline stance on criminal justice, made history Tuesday when she became both the first Asian American and the first African American woman to become a vice-presidential candidate.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made the long-anticipated announcement after mulling several other hopefuls for the job, all of them women.
The east-coast-meets-west-coast duo will face off against President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the Nov. 3 general election.
“Kamala knows how to govern,” Biden said of the 55-year-old prosecutor and former California Attorney General. “She knows how to make the hard calls. She’s ready to do this job on day one.”
In Biden’s home state of Delaware at the pair’s first public appearance Harris said, “This is a moment of real consequence for America. Everything we care about—our economy, our health, our children, the kind of country we live in—it’s all on the line.”
Monterey County Supervisor and former State Assemblyman Luis Alejo said Harris’ nomination was an important moment for people of color and for the country.
“As a former legislator who authored bills sponsored by then-state Attorney General Kamala Harris, it’s an historic moment to see such an outstanding woman of color be chosen as the vice-presidential nominee for Biden,” Alejo said. “It’s historic for our nation and for California. She’s not only inspiring, but will be an effective campaigner and debater. She is the future of the Democratic Party and we can all be proud that it’s a fellow Californian.”
When asked about Harris before Tuesday’s announcement President Trump said she would “be a fine choice,” but shortly after the selection, he reversed course, criticizing her for wanting higher taxes and to cut the military budget. He also condemned her for being “nasty” to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
In the past few days President Trump has also labeled Harris a “big failure” and “risky.”
His team has also wasted no time lashing out at Biden’s choice.
Trump’s son, Eric, “favorited” a Tweet—that was later deleted—that referred to Harris as a “whorendous pick.” And the Republican National Committee in a recent press release said Harris and her “Socialist” agenda are a threat to Americans.
“We can expect this duo to continue their long history of embracing the far-left radical agenda while ignoring the real costs for Americans and their families,” the statement read.
