Biden VP pick: Kamala Harris to join Biden in Delaware
Kamala Harris joins Joe Biden in first campaign event
(about 7 hours later)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will make their first joint appearance as running mates in Delaware later on Wednesday.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is holding his first campaign event with Kamala Harris, a day after unveiling her as his running mate.
Mr Biden, who will face President Donald Trump in the election on 3 November, named Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential pick on Tuesday.
At a high school in Mr Biden's home state of Delaware, he said "this is a serious moment for our nation" ahead of November's election.
He is expected to formally introduce Ms Harris as his choice for vice-president and both are expected to speak.
Later on Wednesday, they will hold a virtual town hall from the hotel where Mr Biden launched his 1972 senate bid.
Senator Harris is the first black woman and South Asian American in the role.
Mr Biden will face President Donald Trump in the election on 3 November.
Mr Biden and Ms Harris will deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, later on Wednesday on "working together to restore the soul of the nation and fight for working families to move the country forward", the Biden campaign said.
Ms Harris, a California senator, is the first black woman and South Asian American to serve in the role.
Who is Kamala Harris?
What did the candidates say?
Ms Harris, 55, was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents - an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.
Wednesday's event in Wilmington, Delaware, was not open to the public, with Mr Biden, 77, citing coronavirus prevention needs. Both candidates walked on stage wearing masks.
She went on to attend Howard University, one of the nation's preeminent historically black colleges and universities. She has described her time there as among the most formative experiences of her life.
Speaking from the gymnasium of the Alexis I DuPont High School to a socially distanced group of journalists, Mr Biden said: "The choice we make this November is going to decide the future of America for a very, very long time."
Ms Harris says she has always been comfortable with her identity and simply describes herself as "an American".
He continued: "Donald Trump has already started his attacks calling Kamala, quote, nasty, whining about how she is, quote, mean to his appointees.
In 2019, she told the Washington Post that politicians should not have to fit into compartments because of their colour or background. "My point was: I am who I am. I'm good with it. You might need to figure it out, but I'm fine with it," she said.
"It's not a surprise because whining is what Donald Trump does best, better than any president in American history.
How did she become Biden's running mate?
"Is anybody surprised that Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman, or strong women across the board?"
Ms Harris ran for the Democratic nomination for presidential candidate but dropped out in December after failing to make headway.
He also attacked Mr Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, the unemployment rate and "his politics of racist rhetoric that appeals to division".
She had long been considered the front-runner for the number two slot even though she repeatedly clashed with Mr Biden during the primary election debates. In one of their clashes, she criticised Mr Biden's praise for the "civil" working relationship he had with former senators who favoured racial segregation.
Coming to the podium, Ms Harris said: "I am ready to get to work."
Mr Biden pledged in March to name a woman on the ticket. He had faced mounting calls to pick a black woman in recent months as the nation has been convulsed by social unrest over police brutality against African Americans, a key voting bloc for the Democratic Party.
The 55-year-old former prosecutor told reporters: "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."
A woman of colour has never been appointed to a presidential ticket by either of the two main American political parties. No woman has won the US presidency either.
Ms Harris continued: "America is crying out for leadership, yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him."
On Tuesday, Mr Biden announced by text message and in an email to his followers that he had chosen the 55-year-old senator as his number two. He described her as "a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country's finest public servants".
"We don't have to accept the failed government of Trump-Pence," she added. "In just 83 days we have a chance to choose a better future for our country."
He also noted how she had worked closely with his late son, Beau, when she was California's attorney general. "I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse," he tweeted.
What is President Trump saying?
"I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in this campaign." Ms Harris said she was "honoured to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President".
Shortly before the event, Mr Trump goaded Mr Biden for remaining at home for much of the campaign so far amid the pandemic lockdown.
What has the reaction been?
The Republican president asked a group of teachers at a White House event whether it was healthy for students to be learning in isolation at home.
President Donald Trump quickly attacked Ms Harris after Mr Biden made his announcement. The president told reporters: "She's a person that's told many, many stories that weren't true."
He then asked: "So if you're a presidential candidate and you're sitting in a basement and you're looking at a computer, that's not a good thing?"
He also said that he thought Ms Harris was "one of the meanest, most horrible" people in the US Senate and praised his pick for vice-president, Mike Pence.
He also tweeted an attack on the Biden-Harris ticket, saying they would put Senator Cory Booker, who is black, in charge of low-income housing in the suburbs. Critics said the tweet was racist.
Ms Harris will take part in a debate with Mr Trump's running mate, Vice-President Mike Pence, on 7 October in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In last year's race to be the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris showed herself to be a forceful speaker, launching blistering attacks on Donald Trump.
Hillary Clinton, who lost to Mr Trump in the 2016 election, said she was "thrilled to welcome [Ms Harris] to a historic Democratic ticket". "She's already proven herself to be an incredible public servant and leader," she added.
Former US President Barack Obama - whom Mr Biden served as vice-president for eight years - tweeted: "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."
What does a running mate do?
The role of a vice-presidential running mate is not always clearly defined.
One of the traditional roles is to go on the offensive in exposing the opposition's weaknesses, while the presidential nominee focuses on communicating the party's message, says the BBC's North America reporter Anthony Zurcher.
Constitutionally, the vice-president steps in to the top job should the president die or leave office during his or her term.
Mr Biden will turn 78 in November, meaning should he be elected he will be the oldest US president in history (Ronald Reagan was 77 when he left office).
His age means Mr Biden's vice-presidential choice may come under extra scrutiny.
Only two other women have been nominated as vice-presidential candidates for a major party - Sarah Palin by the Republican party in 2008 and Geraldine Ferraro by the Democrats in 1984. Neither were on the winning ticket.
Women VP candidates
Sarah Palin congratulated Ms Harris on being the third woman to become a running mate for a major party and also offered plenty of advice on her Instagram account, including "trust no-one new" and "don't get muzzled - connect with the media and voters in your own unique way".
