Joe Biden says he’ll have his vice presidential pick ready “the first week in August,” which is next week. That would be days before he’s expected to accept the Democratic nomination during the Democratic National Convention.
He made the announcement in his home state of Delaware during a campaign event Tuesday. Biden had originally held out early August as a timeline for announcing his running mate, but appeared to back off on that last week.
The former vice president has already committed to picking a woman running mate.
Biden’s short list has included names like Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Michigan Governnor Gretchen Whitmer, Representative Val Demings, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujah Grisham and former national security adviser Susan Rice.
During the event, which was a rollout of part of his economic plan, Biden also spoke out against violence on the streets during some of the nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. He said “arsonists and anarchists would be prosecuted” and blamed President Trump, who he said is “determined to stoke division and chaos” because “his campaign is failing and he is looking for a political lifeline.”
“Peaceful protesters should be protected and arsonists and anarchists would be prosecuted,” Biden said, adding that “local law enforcement can do that,” an implicit criticism of the president’s deployment of federal officers to cities to try to control the protests.
“When President Obama and I were in office we protected federal property,” Biden said. “We were able to do it without the Department of Homeland Security turning into a private militia. And it can be done today, but that wouldn’t help Trump’s political interests. He’s determined to stoke division and chaos. It’s not good for the country, but Donald Trump doesn’t care. His campaign is failing and he is looking for a political lifeline.”
“Every instinct Trump has is to add fuel to the fire,” Biden said. “That’s the last thing, the last thing we need,” he added, arguing that new leadership would “calm the waters and lower the temperature. That’s how we will restore peace in the streets.”
Biden fielded questions from reporters for an hour, and asked by CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe about voters who are supporting his candidacy because they’re against President Trump, rather than for his candidacy, Biden responded, “Look, I am running because Trump is the president, and I think our democracy is at stake, for real. And what seems to be the case is many Americans — those who don’t like me and those who do — view me as the antithesis of Trump, and I believe that I am.”
The presidential hopeful also told reporters Tuesday he thinks Democrats will take back the Senate in November.
