Joy-Ann Reid kicked off her new MSNBC show, The ReidOut, by having presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden on as her first guest. During the interview, which addressed the current state of affairs, Trump’s negligence in handling the COVID-19 crisis and the former vice president’s qualifications as a leader, Reid was also sure to fit in a question about Biden’s potential running mate.
“Most African-Americans that I’ve talked to on a daily basis are very concerned that Black women, in particular, have been the heartbeat of the Democratic party for a long time and really shored you up in places like South Carolina,” Reid relayed to Biden. “Are you committed to naming a Black woman as your vice presidential running mate?”
In recent weeks the names of several Black women have been floated around as Biden’s potential VP pick. They include, but are not limited to, Sen. Kamala Harris, apparently seen as a favorite by those familiar with the campaign; Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; former U.S. national security advisor Susan Rice; Congresswoman Val Demmings, who was a Trump impeachment manager; and Rep. Karen Bass, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Though the vetting of these Black women has been public, Biden avoided promising a Black woman pick.
“I am not committed to naming any but the people I’ve named,” Biden retorted, “and among them there are four Black women. So that decision is underway right now,” Biden said. He announced at a March debate that his running mate would definitely be a woman.
Biden also added that Black women have supported him his whole career and acknowledged his 94 percent approval rating among Black constituents in Delaware, the state he represented in the U.S. Senate for years, is the reason he’s had the successful political career that he has: “I have been loyal, and they’ve been loyal to me.”
Despite Biden’s VP pick still being up in the air, Americans can conjure that a Biden presidency is likely to bring forth one of the most diverse administrations the country has ever seen. The veteran politician recommitted to leading an organization that “will look like America,” sharing that his vision goes for his VP pick, the Supreme Court, his cabinet and every major position in White House. “It’s critically important that be the case,” Biden asserted.