Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to appear together today after he announced her as his running mate - prompting record breaking donations from supporters and Donald Trump to call her 'opponent everyone dreams of'
- Joe Biden, 77, and California Senator Kamala Harris, 55, will appear together for the first time since the announcement in Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday
- The event comes as Biden made history by announcing he will be running with the first black woman to appear on a major party's presidential ticket
- Following the reveal, the campaign saw its biggest ever one-day fundraising haul
- ActBlue, the Democratic Party's main donation platform saw more than $10.8 million in donations flood in following the announcement Tuesday evening
- Trump immediately bashed the pick, calling Harris 'nasty' and 'mean'
- He said Wednesday, however, the she is the type of vice presidential opponent that 'everyone dreams of!'
- 'Kamala Harris started strong in the Democrat Primaries, and finished weak, ultimately fleeing the race with almost zero support,' Trump tweeted Wednesday
- Biden, who spent eight years as President Barack Obama's vice president, has been weighing who would fill that same role in his White House for months
- He pledged in March to select a woman as his vice president
- A woman has never served as president or vice president in the United States
- LISTEN: Trump expert Michael Wolff reveals ‘he's on the edge of freaking out!’ over what is shaping up to be one of the closest presidential elections in history. Listen to the full interview on hit Daily Mail podcast - 90 Seconds to Midnight
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will appear on Wednesday afternoon together in Wilmington, Delaware less than 24 hours after the presumptive Democratic nominee finally announced the California senator as his running mate.
The duo will deliver remarks from Biden's home state on the tailcoats of his campaign's biggest fundraising night ever.
Biden's announcement Tuesday night ignited the biggest hour of online fundraising of his campaign as millions of dollars gushed into the campaign's pocket.
Although the former vice president's campaign did not disclose how much it raised on Tuesday night alone, ActBlue, the main donation platform for Democrats, reported it saw more than $10.8 million in donations flood the site between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
The same platform also processed $2.3 million during those same hours Monday evening as suspense grew for Biden's announcement.
According to an estimate, Tuesday was ActBlue's fifth largest fundraising day ever.
Later Wednesday night, Harris, 55, and Biden, 77, will also take part in a virtual grassroots fundraiser to bring in even more funds off of Biden's announcement that he will be running with the first black woman to ever grace a major party's presidential ticket.
President Donald Trump expressed Tuesday shock over Biden's VP pick, pointing to the times the California senator labeled Biden as 'essentially racist.'
He also called Harris 'nasty' and 'mean' at his press conference Tuesday evening and his campaign released a one-minute attack video that also labeled her as 'phony.'
Trump, however, revealed at the briefing that Harris would have been his 'number one pick', if he were to be given a choice over who he and Vice President Pence would most like to face off against this coming November.
'@KamalaHarris started strong in the Democrat Primaries, and finished weak, ultimately fleeing the race with almost zero support,' Trump tweeted Wednesday morning. 'That's the kind of opponent everyone dreams of!'
Joe Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris will appear side-by-side for an event near Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday afternoon where they will speak together for the first time since the presumptive Democratic nominee announced his running mate
Donald Trump weighed in on the decision, claiming the duo will be easy to beat by claiming Harris is 'the kind of opponent everyone dreams of!'
The announcement ignited a huge night for fundraising, including the biggest ever hour of online fundraising of Biden's campaign as millions of dollars flooded in
In an interview on Fox News Sunday night, the president continued to rail against Biden's choice.
'She was one of the people that was projected to have a chance at winning. All she did as people got to know her, she went down. She finished at 2%, probably less than that and she fled. Remember how quickly. She said horrible things about Biden,' Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity. 'She made terrible statements. She essentially called him a racist. And other things that were very bad.'
Shortly after the news broke, Trump revealed that he was 'a little surprised' given her 'very poor' primary performance.
'She did very very poorly in primaries, she ended up right around two per cent,' Trump noted.
'She was very disrespectful to Joe Biden. It's hard to pick someone that was that disrespectful,' Trump continued referring to a moment in the Democratic debates last summer.
'When she said things during the debates, during the Democratic primary debates that were horrible about Sleepy Joe, I would think you would not have picked her,' Trump said, slipping in an insult against his chief rival.
But despite his surprise, Trump said that Harris would have also been his pick in order to secure victory and a second term in the White House.
'She was my number one draft pick. She was the one I thought would be the best for us.'
The duo made history on Tuesday when Biden announced he would be running with the first black woman to ever compete on a major party's presidential ticket
Biden is mocked for using a SCRIPT during his video call to Kamala Harris asking her to be his VP pick
Donald Trump supporters have mocked Joe Biden for using a script when he rang Kamala Harris to ask her to be his vice presidential nominee.
In an image posted on Biden's Instagram, the 77-year-old is seen with his laptop open, speaking to Harris, 55, via video link.
He is holding his iPhone up to the laptop with the speaker, at the bottom of the phone, directed towards the laptop - suggesting that a third person was on their call.
Eagle-eyed observers noted that Biden had a script prepared for the conversation
It was unclear who that person was.
Beneath the iPhone was a typed up script, with the words 'chose you' and 'three reasons' spelled out.
'I think you are entitled to know why...,' Biden's script read.
The former vice president captioned the photo: 'I have the great honor to announce that I've picked Kamala Harris — 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.'
Pro-Trump social media mocked Biden for using a script, continuing their attacks on him for his gaffes and stumbles.
Sean Davis, co-founder of right-wing site The Federalist, joked: Biden's staff had to write a script for him so he'd know why he was even talking to Kamala Harris. 'I'm calling you today because...''
Benny Johnson, chief creative officer of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, tweeted that there were 'three very important things' about the image.
'1. Biden has to read from a script that is clearly visible,' he said.
'2. Biden does not know how to hold an iPhone (it's upside down).
'3. The cartoon on Biden's desk is a man screaming 'WHY ME?!''
The president told reporters that Harris was 'about the most liberal person in the U.S. Senate.'
'I would have thought that Biden would have tried to stay away from that a little bit,' he said.
In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign.
The first-term senator, who is also of South Asian descent, is one of the party's most prominent figures. She quickly became a top contender for the No. 2 spot after her own White House campaign ended.
In announcing the pick, Biden called Harris a 'fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants.' She said Biden would 'unify the American people' and 'build an America that lives up to our ideals.'
Harris joins Biden at a moment of unprecedented national crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 160,000 people in the U.S., far more than the toll experienced in other countries.
Business closures and disruptions resulting from the pandemic have caused severe economic problems. Unrest, meanwhile, has emerged across the country as Americans protest racism and police brutality.
Trump's uneven handling of the crises has given Biden an opening, and he enters the fall campaign in strong position against the president.
In adding Harris to the ticket, he can point to her relatively centrist record on issues such as health care and her background in law enforcement in the nation's largest state.
At his Tuesday news conference Trump launched a series of angry personal attacks and accusations at the nation's first black female vice presidential nominee, calling Harris 'nasty' and 'mean' .
Trump leveled the insults from the White House podium, taking on a vice presidential choice Democrats embraced in part because of her experience on the television stage after vowing to 'prosecute' Trump.
'She was very nasty, – one of the reasons that surprised me, she was probably nastier than even Pocahontas to Joe Biden,' Trump said, using the slur he often attaches to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, another contender.
Trump also brought up her blasts at Brett Kavanaugh during his Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court.
'I have been watching her for a long time and I was a little surprised. She was extraordinarily nasty to Judge Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh. She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was, the way she treated now Justice Kavanaugh. And I won't forget that soon,' Trump said of Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing,' Trump said.
'I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, most disrespectful of anybody in the U.S. Senate' toward Kavanaugh, who faced accusations of rape during his confirmation hearing, which Kavanaugh denied.
Trump also called her a 'person who's told very many stories that aren't true,' and made repeated efforts to tie her to the 'radical left.'
Trump was much higher on Harris when he got asked about her just days ago on July 29th, when she was already in the news as a potential pick. 'I think she'd be a fine choice, Kamala Harris, she'd be a fine choice,' Trump said at the White House.
'She was very nasty,' President Donald Trump said of Sen. Kamala Harris, adding that she is 'mean' and called Biden 'essentially racist'
President Donald Trump's campaign is already seeking to make hay out of angry clashes between former Vice President Joe Biden and his VP selection Sen. Kamala Harris
The Trump campaign immediately sought to label Sen. Harris (D-Calif.) as 'phony' in a one-minute attack ad released shortly after the announcement
They pointed to a tense exchange from the primary debates
His campaign steered clear of the same harsh personal attacks in a press call with reporters that mostly focused on ideology, although the campaign only allowed for two questions before ending it.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn on the call accused Harris of being for sanctuary cities and 'open borders,' but notably did not repeat Trump's accusations of Harris being mean and nasty.
The attacks from the White House podium came after Biden selected as his nominee the former rival who delivered the most cutting attack of the 2020 nominating process – a fellow member of the Senate 'club' who accused him of working with segregationists and opposing school bussing.
It was a dramatic moment it did not take the Trump campaign long to recall. Team Trump blasted out a web video shortly after her selection calling Harris a 'phony' and 'attacking Joe Biden for racist policies.'
It also sought to cast her as part of the 'radical left,' although one reason Biden may have selected Harris is her record as a former California attorney general, potentially blunting attacks on any nominee.
The video flashed an image of Harris' performance in a a debate, where Harris knocked Biden back with her attack.
'Meet phony Kamala Harris!' the Trump campaign wrote in a tweet containing the video.
A Trump campaign text called her 'Phony Kamala,' using her first name only, an indication that may be the insult Trump seeks to brand her with.
On the debate stage, Harris accused Biden of 'working with segregationists' and told him: 'had those segregationists their way, I would not be a member of the United States Senate,' she told him.
At another debate, she accused Biden of opposing bussing, although he denied it.
'There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me,' Harris said.
She added: 'I will tell you that on this subject, it cannot be an intellectual debate among Democrats. We have to take it seriously. We have to act swiftly.'
Harris followed up by posting an image of herself as a girl when she was bussed to school.
Biden shot back at Harris for her time as a California prosecutor.
Harris called out Biden for 'working with segregationists.' He is seen here with former Dixiecrat Party nominee Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.)
'I did not praise racists,' he told her. 'If we want to have this litigated on who supports civil rights, I'm happy to do that,' he added. 'I was a public defender. I was not a prosecutor.'
He has also stood by his pledge to work with Republicans, and defended efforts to work with those he disagreed with in his own party during his decades-long Senate career.
Biden's decision to select Harris over several other women indicates he has buried the hatchet. Online Tuesday he called her 'a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants.'
He also lauded her for working with his late son, Beau, who served as the attorney general for Delaware.
'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,' Biden said.
Biden had earlier held up 'civility' and spoken about his time working with people he disagreed with like Democratic segregationists in the Senate. Harris called the remark 'hurtful.'
Biden admitted he was thrown off by the harsh attack after Harris first launched it.
''Sure they were going to come after me. I was prepared for them to come after me, but I wasn't prepared for the person coming at me the way she came at me,' Biden told CNN of the debate confrontation. 'She knows me,' he told CNN afterward.
'I get all this information about other people's past and what they've done and not done. I'm not going to go there,' he said.
The Trump video accuses Biden of 'handing the reins to Kamala while they jointly embrace the radical left,' a sign Trump plans to hammer both of his rivals.
But may be Harris' own prosecutorial chops that most drew Biden to her.
As his running mate, she is likely to spend considerable time attacking Trump, who Biden himself has accused of stoking racism.
From the start, some Biden advisers saw Harris as a logical choice.
She was among the party's most popular figures, a deft debater and a fundraising juggernaut. She had been thoroughly vetted during her own campaign and Biden's team expected there would be few surprises if she was the pick.
Indeed, Harris' potential downsides were well-known to Biden advisers. Her record as a prosecutor in California was already viewed skeptically by some younger Democrats during the primary and would face even more scrutiny against the backdrop of a national debate over inequality in the criminal justice system.
The notes of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden reference Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., among other things as he speaks at a campaign event at the William 'Hicks' Anderson Community Center in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, July 28, 2020. The notes called her 'respected' and a 'great help to the campaign'
Sen. Kamala Harris (L) (D-CA), hugs Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden after introducing him at a campaign rally at Renaissance High School on March 09, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan
'Joe Biden nailed this decision': Barack Obama praises choice of Kamala Harris as VP running mate while liberal Hollywood celebs share their hopes for change
Former president Barack Obama joined top Democrats on Tuesday to praise Joe Biden's decision to select California Sen Kamala Harris as his running mate in the November election
Former president Barack Obama joined top Democrats on Tuesday to praise Joe Biden's decision to select California Sen Kamala Harris as his running mate in the November election.
'Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America's next vice president he's underscored his own judgement and character,' Obama said in a statement.
'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,' he added.
Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, chimed in, saying: 'I'm thrilled to welcome @KamalaHarris to a historic Democratic ticket.
'She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader. And I know she´ll be a strong partner to @JoeBiden. Please join me in having her back and getting her elected.'
'Joe Biden nailed this decision. By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America's next vice president he's underscored his own judgement and character,' Obama said in a statement
'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,' Obama added
Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders, who had been one of Biden's rivals for the Democratic nomination, shared his sentiments on Twitter.
'Congratulations to @KamalaHarris, who will make history as our next Vice President. She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history.'
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was on Biden's list of potential running mates, wrote: 'Congratulations to @kamalaharris and @JoeBiden on a fantastic and historic ticket. Now, let´s go win!'
US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas said: 'I have tears in my eyes but joy in my soul.
'I am so overwhelmed, as I know that women around the nation, women of color, and yes Black women can see their equal status in this nation finally. Thank you Vice President Biden ...'
Minnesota Sen Amy Klobuchar, who also ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, tweeted: 'Filled with joy that Sen. @KamalaHarris is our Vice Presidential nominee!
'This is a historic moment, and I know that her leadership, experience, and character will help move our country forward when she and @JoeBiden take back the White House!
'Kamala is a good friend and incredibly strong public servant. Sometimes campaigns can tear friendships apart but we grew closer — and I know she has what it takes to lead side-by-side with @JoeBiden,' Klobuchar added.
Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James tweeted his support for the the vice presidential pick
Taylor Swift's response was short and sweet as she endorsed Harris' VP run on the 2020 ticket
Singer John Legend said he hoped that the Biden-Harris ticket would 'enable people to recover from this nightmare presidency'
Hollywood celebrities along with famous sports stars and singers also tweeted their approval at BIden's VP pick.
LeBron James and Taylor Swift were among the big names taking to Twitter to voice their approval of Biden's choice for November.
'Love to see and support it!' the Los Angeles Lakers forward said, tweeting a series of clapping emojis.
Taylor Swift simply tweeted 'YES' to Harris' own announcement on Twitter earlier in the day.
Singer John Legend tweeted, 'Very happy for our friend and Senator and future Vice-President, @KamalaHarris, and very much looking forward to voting for the Biden-Harris ticket to begin the difficult work of recovering from this nightmare presidency and building an even better future.'
His wife, Chrissy Teigen backed her husband. 'F*** yes. excited to vote!! still amazed Election Day isn't a national holiday. it needs to be celebrated, with a post vote bar crawl,' she wrote.
New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff tweeted an amusing gif of Rudolph in her role as Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live
Harris's frequent impersonator on Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph, reacted to the news in an interview and Zoom call with Entertainment Weekly.
'Oh, s***,' Rudolph she said upon hearing the news.
'I love going to the show. Any excuse I can get, I love. I just didn't really anticipate traveling during a pandemic, but if there's anyone that can work it out I'm sure Lorne Michaels has some sort of invisible helicopter that can get me there,' she joked.
Rudolph, was nominated for an Emmy for impersonating Harris on the comedy sketch show.
'I'm just as surprised as you are, guys.' She said, 'That's spicy.'
'Somebody's gonna be very busy now,' said comedienne Wanda Sykes, who was also on the Zoom call.
There were also nagging questions about Harris' most high-profile moment of the primary campaign — a harsh and deeply personal broadside against Biden over his position on school busing in the 1970s. Though Biden would later brush the moment aside as campaign tactics, the attack was said to have stunned the former vice president, who had considered his relationship with Harris strong. It also raised concern among a small cadre of Biden advisers that Harris would be eyeing the Oval Office herself from the start, a particular worry given that Biden has not firmly committed to serving two terms if elected in November.
And so, as spring turned to summer, a string of other Black women would take a turn in the spotlight as Biden weighed his options. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Florida Rep. Val Demings impressed Biden's team with their leadership during the police brutality protests.
Some House Democrats — including South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, a close Biden confidant — advocated for Rep. Karen Bass, a Californian who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus. Biden also took a strong interest in Susan Rice, with whom he worked closely when she served in the White House as President Barack Obama's national security adviser.
Joe Biden on Tuesday called Harris 'a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants'
The leading contenders, who also included Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, submitted reams of financial records, texts of speeches and other personal information. Biden's selection team canvassed a vast array of Democrats to ask for their views on the candidates' temperament and families, then grilled the candidates on much of the same.
Biden, too, regularly discussed his potential pick with his sprawling network of friends and advisers. He used Obama in particular as a sounding board, though confidants to both men say the former president was careful not to tip his hand in those conversations as to whom he preferred.
But in private, Obama suggested to others that he believed Harris was the favorite.
In one of Harris' conversations with the vetting committee, Chris Dodd — a longtime Biden friend who served alongside him in the Senate — asked if she had remorse for her debate stage attack on his busing record.
Harris, as she had previously done so publicly, brushed it aside as simply politics. Dodd, a member of the running mate selection committee, was put off and let that be known. The incident was first reported by Politico and confirmed to The Associated Press by a person with direct knowledge.
Vice President Joe Biden administers the Senate oath of office to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as her husband Douglas Emhoff, holds the Bible during a a mock swearing in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, as the 115th Congress begins
The public disclosure of Dodd's comments angered some of the highest-ranking women on Biden's campaign team. Some of Harris' allies also mobilized to defend her, including California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who organized a call with Biden's vetting team about two weeks ago to assuage any doubts about whether the senator was the right choice for the ticket.
On the 45-minute call, Kounalakis and other statewide officials, labor and business leaders took turns sharing their personal histories with Harris and their impressions of her as a leader.
'Speaking out as strongly as we did, collectively, helped them understand how supported she is and why,' Kounalakis said on Tuesday.
The call ended with Biden's vetting team telling the Harris supporters that they had all recommended her as one of the top candidates for the job.
The pandemic had largely grounded Biden in his home state of Delaware throughout the summer, and also upended some of the ways he had expected to build a rapport with the running-mate contenders. There were no joint rallies or carefully orchestrated, yet casual-looking, outings to local restaurants in battleground states. Biden was also accepting few in-person visitors at his home.
Harris brought some of the sharpest attacks against Biden during debates, but her campaign ultimately fell apart
But he did want to speak one-on-one with the women who had made it through the vetting process and interviews with his selection committee. He would hold conversations with 11 women in the final nine days before he made his pick — a mixture of in-person meetings and video teleconferences.
Whitmer was among those who flew to Delaware for an in-person audience. She boarded a private plan in Lansing, Michigan, on August 2, spending just a few hours on the ground before returning to Michigan.
Rice, who had perhaps the closest personal relationship with Biden of all the contenders, spoke twice with Biden in recent days. Duckworth also had a formal interview over the weekend, as did Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, who was initially viewed as a leading contender for the job.
On Tuesday, in the hours before his campaign announced Harris as the pick, Biden would call each of those women to inform them that they had not been selected. Warren, whose relationship with Biden has deepened in recent months through regular policy discussions, was also among those to receive a personal call from the former vice president.
In some of the conversations, Biden left open an opportunity. Please consider joining me in another role in the administration, he said.
'It's the middle finger to BLM and progressives': Outraged left turns on the Biden-Harris ticket and slams Joe's choice of self-styled 'top cop' and her stringent record as California AG
Joe Biden's choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate was hailed on Tuesday as a historic first for women of color, but some warn her record as a tough prosecutor could dent her appeal with two key constituencies - black voters and liberals.
Shortly after Biden announced Harris would join him on the ticket in the November presidential election, several left wing progressives in the Democrat party criticized his decision.
'Well, there you have it. @JoeBiden gives the middle finger to progressives, #BlackLivesMatter protesters, and black voters under the age of 50,' Status Coup co-founder Jordan Chariton wrote in a tweet.
Journalist, Walker Bragman, shared: 'Crime bill author Joe Biden selects 'top cop' Kamala Harris for VP as racial justice and police abolition protests continue across the country.'
Shortly after Biden announced Harris would join him on the ticket in the November presidential election, several left wing progressives in the Democrat party criticized his decision
And while Bernie Sanders, who had been one of Biden's rivals for the Democratic nomination, congratulated Harris on Twitter, saying she 'understands what it takes to stand up for working people', several of his supporters disagreed with the decision
Sarah Palin congratulates Kamala Harris on being third woman ever on the vice presidential ticket - saying 'trust no one new' and labels campaign aides 'yahoos'
Sarah Palin, the second woman in U.S. history to be added to the presidential ticket, congratulated Sen. Kamala Harris on becoming the third - and then gave her some frank advice.
'Out of the chute trust no one new,' Palin wrote on Instagram Tuesday. 'Fight mightily to keep your own team with you - they know you, know your voice, and most importantly are trustworthy.'
Palin also called campaign aides 'yahoos' and warned her against 'handlers' coming from the Biden campaign.
Sarah Palin (right) penned an Instagram message Tuesday to Sen. Kamala Harris, who was chosen by presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to be his running mate. Palin included a picture of her with Geraldine Ferraro (left) the first woman to be on the presidential ticket
Sarah Palin's picture was accompanied by a number of warnings for Sen. Kamala Harris, including to 'trust no one new.' Palin famously clashed with Sen. John McCain's aides
Sarah Palin continued the post with advice and some fun terms she learned on the campaign trail, as her foray in 2008 was the first time she was on the national stage
'Don't get muzzled,' the former Alaska governor said. 'Connect with media and voters in your own unique away. Some yahoos running campaigns will suffocate you with their own self-centered agenda so remember YOU were chosen for you YOU are.'
'So stay connected with America as you smile and ignore deceptive 'handlers' trying to change you,' Palin added.
Palin was the surprise pick by Sen. John McCain in 2008 as he tried to add diversity to his ticket as he ran against then Sen. Barack Obama, who would go on to make history as the country's first black president.
And while Bernie Sanders, who had been one of Biden's rivals for the Democratic nomination, congratulated Harris on Twitter, saying she 'understands what it takes to stand up for working people', several of his supporters disagreed with the decision.
Briahna Joy Gray, who served as Sanders' national press secretary, wrote: 'We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a 'top cop' and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump.
'The contempt for the base is, wow.'
Progressive commentator, Kyle Kulinski, shared: 'Biden going with the strategically brilliant move of picking somebody for VP who is despised by both the right and the left.'
In a joint statement, RootsAction and Progressive Democrats of America wrote that Harris 'failed for years to hold police accountable for gross misconduct in California, then touted her commitment to police accountability in the wake of George Floyd's murder'.
Journalist Michael Tracey called Biden's selection a 'nightmarishly bad pick in every way'.
'Kamala's presidential campaign was a total humiliating disaster. One of the worst of all time, considering the amount of unearned hype she received. Did everybody miss that, or what?' he asked.
One critical moment in Harris's campaign came when Rep Tulsi Gabbard blasted her for putting 'over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana'.
Harris, the first woman and the first black attorney general in the history of the Golden State, portrayed herself as a progressive reformer during her own presidential bid, but some have cast doubts on that claim and aren't sure if it will hold as she runs alongside Biden.
'Time after time, when progressives urged her to embrace criminal justice reforms as a district attorney and then the state's attorney general, Ms Harris opposed them or stayed silent,' law professor Lara Bazelon wrote last year in an op-ed for The New York Times.
'Harris turned legal technicalities into weapons so she could cement injustices,' added Bazelon, a former director of the Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles.
Before serving as attorney general, the 55-year-old Harris was the district attorney in San Francisco. She was elected to the Senate in 2016.
'Kamala Harris had a reputation in California as a prosecutor and attorney general who waited rather than led, who moved on controversial issues only once she saw what was politically viable,' the daily Sacramento Bee wrote in a June editorial.
As it concerns police brutality - a subject very much in the news following the death of George Floyd, a black man whose killing at the hands of police in May sparked nationwide protests - Harris has also been criticized for failing to intervene in cases involving police violence.
While serving as attorney general in 2016, for example, she opposed a bill to investigate deadly police shootings following the death of a stabbing suspect - shot 21 times by police - that sparked huge protests.
Harris has in addition come under criticism for pushing legislation that would punish parents in California for their children's truancy.
But despite her controversial record on criminal justice, Harris has also been lauded for fighting for progressive change.
Her most successful program, called 'Back on Track,' called for non-violent first-time drug offenders to avoid jail by getting a high school diploma.
She also initiated a project for anti-bias training for law enforcement agencies throughout California.
Arguably her biggest achievement in the eyes of civil rights activists was 'Open Justice,' an online portal that made a wide range of criminal justice data available to the public, including the number of deaths and injuries in police custody.
Many today reject claims that she did not go far enough in pushing for criminal justice reform, arguing she was being judged by unfair standards.
'I am a public defender, I work day and night fighting for justice in San Francisco ... and the fact is that she did implement very progressive programs, period, end of story,' Niki Solis, who faced Harris many times in court when she was district attorney, said.
Jack Pitney, a professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College in California, stressed that in looking at Harris' tenure as attorney general, one should take into account that she was acting as a prosecutor applying the law, rather than a legislator.
'As attorney general of the state of California, she had to defend laws in court whether or not she agreed with them,' Pitney said. 'So to that extent, I think the criticism is misplaced.'
He said that, if anything, Harris's justice record will be an asset as she takes on Republicans in the run-up to the November vote.
'Their criticism will enable her to say 'look at all these progressives, they are criticizing me for being too conservative. I must be just in the right place',' Pitney said.
Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego, said Harris's track record as a prosecutor will likely work in her favor but also against her.
'Her smart-on-crime moderate positions on crime and social justice will help her with moderates,' Kousser said. 'But it could also demobilize some more young liberal voters.'
With friends like these! How Kamala Harris slammed Joe Biden during a 2019 primary debate on his support for busing in the 1970s and then declared she believed women accusing him of unwanted touching
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris lauded each other on Tuesday as the presidential hopeful selected the California senator as his running mate, but their relationship has already been put to the test, especially during heated debates in 2019.
In choosing Harris, Biden is embracing a former rival from the Democratic primary who is familiar with the unique rigor of a national campaign.
Harris launched her presidential campaign in early 2019 with the slogan 'Kamala Harris For the People,' a reference to her courtroom work. She was one of the highest-profile contenders in a crowded Democratic primary and attracted 20,000 people to her first campaign rally in Oakland.
One standout moment of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden on June 27, 2019.
One standout moment of her presidential campaign came at the expense of Biden in 2019. During the debate, she said Biden made 'hurtful' comments about his work with segregationist senators and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s
During the debate, she said Biden made 'very hurtful' comments about his past work with segregationist senators James Eastland and Herman Talmadge, and slammed his opposition to busing as schools began to integrate in the 1970s.
'I do not believe you are racist,' Harris told Biden at the time. 'But I also believe, and it is personal — it was hurtful to hear you talk about the reputations of two United States senators who built their reputations and careers on the segregation of race in this country.
'It is not only that, but you also worked with them to oppose busing,' she continued.
'There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day,' she said. 'And that little girl was me.'
Shaken by the attack, Biden called her comments 'a mischaracterization of my position'.
The exchange resurfaced recently with a report that one of Biden's closest friends and a co-chair of his vice presidential vetting committee, former Connecticut Sen Chris Dodd, still harbors concerns about the debate and that Harris hadn't expressed regret.
The comments attributed to Dodd and first reported by Politico drew condemnation, especially from influential Democratic women who said Harris was being held to a standard that wouldn't apply to a man running for president.
Some Biden confidants said Harris' debate attack did irritate the former vice president, who had a friendly relationship with her.
Harris was also close with Biden's late son, Beau, who served as Delaware attorney general while she held the same post in California.
Eventually, the senator withdrew from the race in December 2019 because she struggled to land on a consistent message that resonated with voters.
Earlier that year, Harris also told reporters that she believed the women who came forward to say Biden made them uncomfortable with unwanted touching.
'I believe them, and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it,' Harris said on April 3, 2019.
But Biden and Harris have since returned to a warm relationship.
The daughter of immigrants with the White House in her reach: Meet Joe Biden's running mate Kamala Harris who prosecuted criminals and savaged Trump's nominees (and was helped to the top by her married lover)
Harris, the daughter of immigrants, made a name for herself in San Francisco both in her work as a prosecutor and in the society pages for her friendships with the city's elite and her relationship with former mayor Willie Brown.
She was the first black woman to serve as San Francisco's district attorney and the first black woman to serve as California's attorney general – and she is now the first black woman vice presidential candidate.
She launched her career as the city's district attorney, became California's attorney general and moved on to the Senate in 2016 after Senator Barbara Boxer retired.
Her national profile increased when she drew on her experience as a lawyer to engage in political combat, whether it was with President Donald Trump's officials and nominees in Senate hearings or with Biden on the Democratic debate stage.
It was that spanking on the debate stage - when she criticized Biden for his standing on a federal busing program that benefited minorities, including herself - that elevated her to the top tier of presidential candidates. It also earned her a nickname from Trump, who dubbed her 'Phony Kamala'.
Kamala Harris, the daughter of immigrants, whose career was defined by a series of firsts - first black woman to serve as San Francisco's district attorney and as the first black woman to serve California's attorney general - has added another first to that list: first black woman vice presidential candidate
Biden looked visibly taken aback when Harris told him on the debate stage in Miami last July: 'There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me.'
The moment helped her jump in the polls and rake in a quick $2 million in fundraising but her campaign was down hill from there, falling behind in polling and fundraising as Harris struggled with her message and was beset by internal staff squabbles.
In November, she laid off staff and pinned all her hopes on Iowa. But, a month later on December 3, 2019, she dropped out of the presidential race two months before Iowa held its caucuses.
In a touch of political irony, it was an early focus on health care policy and economic issues during the primary season that hurt her campaign as neither area was one of her strengths.
But the death of George Floyd, a Minnesota black man who died on May 25 after white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, brought race relations to the forefront of the country and saw Black Lives Matter demonstrations spring up around the nation.
Biden had vowed to name a woman as his running mate. Harris' name was already on the list but, after Floyd's death, pressure increased on the Democratic nominee to name a black woman.
Harris became a top contender for the number two spot, along with former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Senator Elizabeth Warren and several other prominent women.
Harris was born on October 20, 1964, in Oakland, California, across the bay in a much less affluent neighborhood than the one in which she would make her mark
Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was the daughter of an Indian diplomat and a women's rights activist, graduated from the University of Delhi at nineteen, and, in order to avoid an arranged marriage, went to the University of California at Berkeley to pursue graduate studies. There, she met another graduate student, Donald Harris (together right), from Jamaica, who was studying for his Ph.D. in economics, during a political protest
Kamala Harris, back row at left, in an undated family photo. Next to her, from left, are her grandmother Rajam Gopalan, grandfather P.V. Gopalan and sister, Maya Harris. With them are Maya's daughter, Meena, left, and Harris' cousin Sharada Balachandran Orihuela
Harris's husband who is a corporate lawyer in Los Angeles. The two married at a small ceremony in Santa Barbara in 2014, after they met on a blind date a year earlier. Maya officiated. He has two grown-up children from a previous marriage: Cole and Ella. Harris calls herself 'Momala,' the name she says her stepchildren gave her
Now Kamala Harris' record as a prosecutor is in the spotlight
While many will hail the choice of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate, the US senator from California has come under tough criticism -- but also been praised -- over her past work as a top prosecutor.
Harris, the first woman and the first black attorney general in the history of the Golden State as well as the first woman of color on a major US presidential ticket, portrayed herself as a progressive reformer during her own presidential bid, but some have cast doubts on that claim.
'Time after time, when progressives urged her to embrace criminal justice reforms as a district attorney and then the state's attorney general, Ms Harris opposed them or stayed silent,' law professor Lara Bazelon wrote last year.
'Harris turned legal technicalities into weapons so she could cement injustices,' Bazelon, a former director of the Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent in Los Angeles, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times.
Border visit: In 2011, Kamala Harris was California attorney general and visited the fence making the border between the state and Mexico to announce action against cross-border drugs gangs
Prosecutor: Kamala Harris was elected as San Francisco district attorney after being a career prosecutor. Her years in law enforcement are now in the spotlight
Before serving as attorney general, the 55-year-old Harris was the district attorney in San Francisco. She was elected to the Senate in 2016.
'Kamala Harris had a reputation in California as a prosecutor and attorney general who waited rather than led, who moved on controversial issues only once she saw what was politically viable,' the daily Sacramento Bee wrote in a June editorial.
As concerns police brutality -- a subject very much in the news following the death of George Floyd, a black man whose killing at the hands of police in May sparked nationwide protests -- Harris has also been criticized for largely failing to intervene in cases involving police violence.
While serving as attorney general in 2016, for example, she opposed a bill to investigate deadly police shootings following the death of a stabbing suspect -- shot 21 times by police -- that sparked huge protests.
Harris, who is the daughter of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, has also come under fierce criticism for pushing legislation that would punish parents in California for their children's truancy.
But despite her controversial record on criminal justice, Harris has also been lauded for fighting for progressive change.
Her most successful program, called 'Back on Track,' called for non-violent first-time drug offenders to avoid jail by getting a high school diploma.
She also initiated a project for anti-bias training for law enforcement agencies throughout California.
But arguably her biggest achievement in the eyes of civil rights activists and also police, was Open Justice, an online portal that made a wide range of criminal justice data available to the public, including the number of deaths and injuries in police custody.
Many today are pushing back against claims that she did not go far enough in pushing for criminal justice reform, arguing she was being judged by unfair standards.
California figure: Kamala Harris was San Francisco district attorney at the same time as now California governor Gavin Newsom was the city's mayor. They took part in an MLK Day march in 2004
'I am a public defender, I work day and night fighting for justice in San Francisco ... and the fact is that she did implement very progressive programs, period, end of story,' said Niki Solis, who faced Harris many times in court when she was district attorney.
Solis told AFP that harsh criticism of Harris to the effect that marijuana prosecutions under her tenure were too harsh was also absurd, considering the statistical data that speaks otherwise.
'She had very liberal, progressive policies regarding marijuana, everybody knows it,' she said.
Jack Pitney, a professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College in California, stressed that in looking at Harris' tenure as attorney general, one must take into account that she was a prosecutor applying the law, rather than a legislator.
'As attorney general of the state of California, she had to defend laws in court whether or not she agreed with them,' Pitney said. 'So to that extent, I think the criticism is misplaced.'
He said that, if anything, Harris's justice record should serve her well as the vice presidential pick.
'By the standards of California progressives, pretty much nobody can be progressive enough and if progressives are criticizing her for not being overly liberal as a prosecutor, that's an asset in a general election campaign,' he said.
Pitney added that in the run-up to the November vote, conservatives will likely hit out at her as being too liberal.
'Their criticism will enable her to say 'look at all these progressives, they are criticizing me for being too conservative. I must be just in the right place.''
In all, 11 women are said to have been considered, a mix of senators, governors, mayors and members of Congress.
And, as Harris' name rose on the contender list, there was speculation that debate moment might count against her. Jill Biden told supporters that Harris's comment was like a 'punch to the gut.'
Also, there was a report in Politico that some of Biden's allies worried about the California senator joining the ticket, saying she was too 'ambitious' - which was seen as an insult to her given her qualifications to hold the office.
Biden literally had the answers to all that a July 28 press conference in Wilmington when an Associated Press photographer captured the writing on his note pad, which was filled with praise for Harris: 'Do not hold grudges.' 'Campaigned with me & Jill.' 'Talented.' 'Great help to campaign.' 'Great respect for her.'
Harris' ties to the Biden family go back to the eldest son Beau, who died of complications of brain cancer in May 2015. The two connected when they served as attorneys general in their respective states. They used each other as sounding boards and texted often, mutual friends told the Associated Press last year.
Beau introduced Harris to his father, who was serving as Barack Obama's vice president at the time. Joe Biden endorsed Harris early on in her Senate campaign, noting she was a friend of his son.
'Beau always supported her,' he said in his endorsement.
'She'd been welcomed into the fold, and that's basically forever with the Bidens,' a friend of the family told The Daily Beast last month as Harris' went through the vice presidential vetting process.
Harris' start in politics came far from the Biden family, at the opposite end of the country in San Francisco, a city proud of its political names: Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown.
And Harris added her name to that list.
She made it partly through Brown. The two started dating in the spring of 1994, when she showed up at his date at several high-profile functions. She was 30 and Brown was 60, serving as the Democratic speaker of the California State Assembly. He was then and still is married but lives apart from his wife. He's had a series of girlfriends.
The two dated for a short period of time when he ran for mayor and broke up between his victory party and the swearing-in ceremony. Harris has since called their romance 'an albatross' around her neck.
But Brown opened doors for her as he opened doors for other politicians such as Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor who is now governor of California. Brown appointed Newsom to San Francisco Parking and Traffic Commission, and later, to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors - positions that paved his path to the mayor's office.
Brown arranged appointments for Harris on two state boards: California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission. Together, the appointments paid her about four hundred thousand dollars over five years. He gave her a BMW.
Harris' start in politics came far from the Biden family, at the opposite end of the country in San Francisco, a city proud of its political names: Nancy Pelosi, Gavin Newsom, Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown (pictured together in 1995). Harris and Brown started dating in the spring of 1994, when she showed up at his date at several high-profile functions. She was 30 and Brown was 60, serving as the Democratic speaker of the California State Assembly. He was then and still is married but lives apart from his wife. The two dated for a short period of time when he ran for mayor and broke up between his victory party and the swearing-in ceremony. Harris has since called their romance 'an albatross' around her neck
Harris' ties to the Biden family go back to the eldest son Beau (pictured together), who died of complications of brain cancer in May 2015. The two connected when they served as attorneys general in their respective states. They used each other as sounding boards and texted often, mutual friends told the Associated Press last year
In 2002, she challenged San Francisco's incumbent district attorney, the progressive Terence Hallinan, who was her former boss. She quit the office - known for it disorganization and low conviction rates - and launched her campaign against him. Her tenure as the city's top cop was not without controversy, particularly a case that made national news. In 2004, shortly after she took over in the DA's office, she declined to pursue the death penalty for a gang member accused of shooting 29-year-old San Francisco cop Isaac Espinoza - despite heavy political pressure from the police union
Beau introduced Harris to his father, who was serving as Barack Obama's vice president at the time. Joe Biden endorsed Harris early on in her Senate campaign, noting she was a friend of his son. 'Beau always supported her,' he said in his endorsement
She used her connections to join the city's social elite. She joined the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and worked on causes like AIDS, appearing in the society pages as galas, fashion shows and posh socialite weddings.
In 2002, she challenged San Francisco's incumbent district attorney, the progressive Terence Hallinan, who was her former boss. She quit the office - known for it disorganization and low conviction rates - and launched her campaign against him.
To combat the pictures of her in society publications she opened her campaign office in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, a historically nonwhite area.
She campaigned in front of post offices and grocery stores with an ironing board - calling it the first standing desk and showing the minority population how to turn an ordinary domestic tool into an instrument of executive power.
But she struggled to gain traction as the moderate candidate in a three-person race. Then candidate Bill Fazio, an ultra liberal, took out a campaign hit on Harris: 'I don't care if Willie Brown is Kamala Harris' ex-boyfriend. What bothers me is that Kamala accepted two appointments from Willie Brown to high-paying, part-time state boards - including one she had no training for - while being paid $100,000-year as a full-time county employee.'
Biden looked visibly taken aback when Harris told him on the debate stage in Miami last July: 'There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day, and that little girl was me'
The moment helped her jump in the polls and rake in a quick $2 million in fundraising but her campaign was down hill from there, falling behind in polling and fundraising as Harris struggled with her message and was beset by internal staff squabbles. In November, she laid off staff and pinned all her hopes on Iowa. But, a month later on December 3, 2019, she dropped out of the presidential race two months before Iowa held its caucuses
It backfired and vaulted Harris into a run off against Hallinan that she went on to win.
Her tenure as the city's top cop was not without controversy, particularly a case that made national news.
In 2004, shortly after she took over in the DA's office, she declined to pursue the death penalty for a gang member accused of shooting 29-year-old San Francisco cop Isaac Espinoza - despite heavy political pressure from the police union.
Harris had campaigned on the promise never to pursue the death penalty and stuck to that during the case.
The killer was sentenced to life in prison.
In 1973, California passed a law that made the murderer of a police officer eligible for the death penalty. Instead Harris' office pursued a life in prison without parole conviction.
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein was invited to give a eulogy at Espinoza's funeral, where she called for the death penalty to be used in the case. Feinstein received a standing ovation from the hundreds of rank-and-file officers at the funeral as Harris sat in the front row.
Harris has made her prosecutorial experience one of her primary arguments for why she should take on President Donald Trump in 2020.
'My whole life, I've only had one client: the people,' Harris said in January 2019 when she formally launched her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
'Fighting for the people meant fighting on behalf of survivors of sexual assault - a fight not just against predators but a fight against silence and stigma.'
She ran for California attorney general in 2010 and for Senate in 2016.
While in the Senate she made headlines for her questioning of Attorney General Bill Barr at a May 2019 hearing of the judiciary panel.
'Has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no, please, sir,' she said to him. Barr stuttered and didn't answer her question.
From her perch on judiciary she's questioned a number of high-profile figures in hearings, including then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said Harris' questions made him 'nervous'; Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
She was one of the female senators who called for Senator Al Franken to resign after allegations of sexual harassment. She voted for both counts of impeachment against President Trump, who was acquitted by the greater Senate.
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