On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission made public the complete “60 Minutes” interview featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris. (Federal Communications Commission / YouTube screen shot)
Kamala Harris disclosed that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was not her first choice for a running mate, but rather a secondary option. Her initial preference was someone who aligned more closely with the Democratic elite and belonged to a ‘protected class.’
An excerpt from Harris’s forthcoming book, “107 Days,” obtained by The Atlantic, reveals that she had a strong desire to select her close friend, Pete Buttigieg, as her partner. However, she ultimately considered the risk too considerable.
The reason for her hesitation? Harris believed that America might not be ready to accept a married gay man as vice president, especially with a Black woman married to a Jewish man leading the Democratic ticket.
“(Buttigieg) would have been an ideal partner—if I were a straight white man,” Harris reflected. “But we were already asking a lot of America: to accept a woman, a Black woman, a Black woman married to a Jewish man.”
“Part of me wanted to say, Screw it, let’s just do it,” she added. “But knowing what was at stake, it was too big of a risk.”
Harris also expressed her sorrow over passing on Buttigieg while emphasizing her strong bond with him and his husband. “I love Pete,” she wrote. “I love working with Pete. He and his husband, Chasten, are friends.”
It is highly unlikely that Buttigieg or any other vice-presidential choice would have prevented Harris from suffering a significant defeat against President Trump, as many Americans viewed her as an ineffective candidate who would lead to another problematic Biden term.
When asked what she might have done differently than Biden during his presidency, Harris admitted, “There’s not a thing that comes to mind.”
“If anything, would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?”
KAMALA: “There is not a thing that comes to mind.”
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— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 8, 2024
