"I am ecstatic": Democrats reacts to Biden tapping Kamala Harris as running mate
11 August 2020
Democrats from across the party — including some of the women on Joe Biden's vice-presidential shortlist — are championing his historic appointment of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.
What they're saying: "I warmly congratulate Senator Kamala Harris on her selection as Joe Biden’s Vice Presidential running mate," said former UN Ambassador Susan Rice, whom several sources said was in the top two. Senator Harris is a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail."
- Rep. Karen Bass, who was also being vetted by Biden, tweeted: "Kamala Harris is a great choice for Vice President. Her tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now. I worked closely with her when I was in Sacramento and she was the District Attorney in San Francisco. I continue to work closely with her here in Washington, DC as we push to reform our nation's policing system."
- House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, who has been credited with reviving Biden's presidential campaign before the South Carolina primary, told MSNBC: "I am ecstatic. As you know, I'm the father of three daughters. I've been saying what a plus it would be to have an African-American woman on the ticket. I just think we are breaking ground here."
- Stacey Abrams, who was also being vetted for VP, tweeted: "I am privileged to have spoken with Vice President Biden at length over the weekend and again today. He is building a team that can rebuild America and restore our faith in what lies ahead."
- Andrew Yang, former 2020 candidate, said in a statement: "A vice presidential candidate who's leading the fight for cash relief for American families is exactly what our country needs right now. ... Senator Harris knows that, in this moment, the best thing we can do is invest in our people. I look forward to working with a Biden-Harris administration to get cash into Americans' hands."
- Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a political group for women of color, said in a statement: ""Today is a spark of hope and a watershed moment for Black women and women of color. Her work to understand the struggles of the women of color leading the movement on the ground is what sets her apart in this critical moment."
The other side: The Trump campaign called Harris Biden's "political living will" and accused the new Democratic ticket of "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."
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.