Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday reacted to the news that former Vice President Joe Biden had selected Kamala Harris to be his running mate.
“I’ve known Senator Harris for a long time,” Obama wrote in a 260-word statement shared with reporters. “She is more than prepared for the job.”
Obama praised the former California career prosecutor as a candidate “defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake.”
Obama praised Biden’s choice of Harris, even citing it as proof that his former vice president was qualified to be president.
“Joe Biden nailed this decision,” he wrote. “By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character.”
Obama also praised Harris’s identity and biography as a political strength.
“Her own life story is one that I and so many others can see ourselves in: a story that says that no matter where you come from, what you look like, how you worship, or who you love, there’s a place for you here,” he wrote.