Former President Barack Obama said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden “nailed” his decision in picking Kamala Harris as his running mate.
“Joe Biden nailed this decision,” Obama said in a statement Tuesday, the same day Biden announced Harris as his vice presidential pick. “By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character.”
Obama, who has known Harris for years, said she is “more than prepared for the job” and has spent her career “defending our Constitution and defending folks who need a fair shake.”
Harris, 55, was attorney general of California before her election to the Senate in 2016. If elected, Harris would be the first Black and South Asian American vice president in U.S. history. She would also be the first female vice president in U.S. history.
“Michelle and I couldn’t be more thrilled for Kamala, Doug, Cole and Ella,” Obama said in his statement, referring to her husband, Doug Emhoff, and stepchildren. “This is a good day for our country. Now let’s go win this thing.”
Biden and Harris are scheduled to deliver their first public remarks together Wednesday in Delaware.