Kamala Harris Reacts to Joe Biden Selecting Her as His Vice Presidential Running Mate

On Tuesday, Sen. Kamala Harris responded to former Vice President Joe Biden choosing her as his running mate in the 2020 presidential election on Twitter. In a triumphant statement on social media, the California senator voiced her conviction that Biden could win the election.

"[Joe Biden] can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us," Harris tweeted on Tuesday. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief."

.@JoeBiden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals.

I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 11, 2020

Harris' tweet picked up hundreds of thousands of likes and dozens of thousands of retweets shortly after she posted it. The senator posted no further updates, but Biden himself did retweet her message. Biden also published his own tweets praising Harris and endorsing her as his VP pick.

"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," he wrote. "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."

Out of the available options, Harris was one of the clear frontrunners to be Biden's vice-presidential pick. However, the selection process was so mysterious that many people felt they had little clue as to who would ultimately get the nomination. Consequently, the announcement made a big splash on Tuesday, garnering reactions from politicians, pundits and celebrities. That list of notable reactors included the comedian best-known for impersonating Harris on Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph.

"That's spicy," Rudolph said on an Entertainment Weekly discussion panel on Tuesday. She was recording the bit when the news broke, and she said excitedly: "Oh s—! Ruh-roh! I love going to the show any excuse I can get... I just didn't really anticipate traveling during this pandemic, but if there's anyone who can work it out I'm sure Lorne [Michaels] has some kind of invisible helicopter that can get me there... I'm so thrilled that I got to go back. It's my favorite place to play."

Analysts see Harris as a solid choice for Biden, toeing the line between a moderate, centrist running mate and a progressive lawmaker. It is also important to note how much younger than Biden she is, especially since Biden would be exceptionally old for a U.S. president. Harris is expected to formally accept the Vice Presidential nomination next week at the Democratic National Convention.