Biden picks Kamala Harris as running mate, as Trump’s Campaign feasts on senator’s past criticisms of Democratic candidate

United States (U.S.) Democratic Party’s candidate, Mr Joe Biden, has finally picked his running mate for the November 3 presidential election.
She is California senator, Kamala Harris, Biden announced.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris, 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,” Biden tweeted.
Harris, 55, an Indian-American, is the first black woman and first person of Asian descent to be nominated for a federal office by a major political party in the U.S.
She is the fourth woman to be chosen for a presidential ticket in the country.
Harris contested for the ticket against Biden and was his fierce critic before dropping out of the race to later become a strident supporter of the former Vice President.
Biden’s announcement sparked immediate reactions from some political big wigs in the country, including President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted a video clip showing moments where Harris criticised Biden during her campaigns, including referring to him as “not smart”.
Ms Susan Rice, a former National Security Adviser and one of those tipped to be chosen by Biden, issued a statement pledging her support.
“I am confident Biden-Harris will prove to be a winning ticket. I will do my utmost to help them win and govern,” she said.
Vermont senator, Bernie Sanders, who also contested for the ticket, congratulated Harris, saying she “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.
“Let’s get to work and win,” Sanders said on Twitter.
Kamala Harris was a fierce critic of Biden during the Democratic Party’s presidential primary won by the latter.
Harris, 55, contested against Biden for the party’s ticket and dealt him severe blows during the debates in 2019.
Now, the campaign organisation of President Donald Trump is cashing in on past clashes between Biden and Harris to attack the former Vice President’s choice.
Reacting to the announcement, Senior Adviser of the Trump campaign, Ms Katrina Pierson, described Harris as “phoney,” saying the choice reflected Biden’s “extreme agenda.”

“Not long ago, Kamala Harris called Joe Biden a racist and asked for an apology she never received.
“Clearly, phoney Kamala will abandon her own morals, as well as try to bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists controlling the Democratic Party,” Pierson said.
Harris had now made history as the first black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket in U.S.
During the primary election debates, she repeatedly clashed with Biden, especially for his relationship with former senators who supported racial segregation.
Pierson also knocked Harris for favouring tax raise and government’s takeover of healthcare.
“In her failed attempt at running for president, Kamala Harris gleefully embraced the left’s radical manifesto, calling for trillions of dollars in new taxes and backing Bernie Sanders’ government takeover of healthcare.
“She is proof that Joe Biden is an empty shell being filled with the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left.
“Joe Biden is no moderate and with Harris as his ‘political living will,’ he is surrendering control of our nation to the radical mob with promises to raise taxes, cut police funding, kill energy jobs, open our borders and appease socialist dictators,” she said.
Reacting personally during a White House news briefing shortly after Biden made the announcement, Trump also cited Harris’s attacks against him.
“She was very disrespectful to Joe Biden. It’s hard to pick someone that was that disrespectful,” Trump said.
During the Democratic primary debates in 2019, Harris also disagreed with Biden over his opposition to the provision of school buses by the Federal Government as a means of rectifying racial segregation.
“Do you agree today that you were wrong to oppose busing in America?” Harris had asked Biden during the debate.
“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.
“And that little girl was me,” she said.
According to Fox News, Biden’s standing in the polls briefly dropped after the debate and Harris’ popularity soared for a while.
However, she dropped out of the race in December and became one of Biden’s strongest supporters.
Biden was quoted to have said a few days ago that he bore no grudges against the senator and had “great respect for her.”