Sen. Amy Klobuchar said she doesn’t want to be considered for the Democratic vice presidential nomination by presumptive White House nominee Joe Biden, adding that her former primary rival should instead pick a woman of color.
The Minnesota senator’s shot at getting on Biden’s ticket faded in recent weeks amid protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Before winning her Senate seat in 2006, Klobuchar was the top prosecutor in Hennepin County, which includes Minneapolis. Her prosecutorial record has since come under scrutiny, including how her office handled several officer-involved incidents.
By taking herself out of consideration on MSNBC’s The Last Word, Klobuchar could help preserve her political future in national Democratic politics.
“This is a historic moment, and America must seize on this moment,” Klobuchar told host Lawrence O’Donnell. “I truly believe, as I actually told the vice president last night when I called him, that I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket.”
Klobuchar is one of several women mentioned as a potential running mate for Biden, the former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, along with Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
“If you want to heal this nation right now, my party, yes, but our nation, this is sure a hell of a way to do it,” Klobuchar said about adding a woman of color to the ticket to take on President Trump in November.
