Sen. Lindsey Graham thinks presidential candidate Joe Biden is likely to choose Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.
While appearing on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show on Thursday, Graham said Biden could be a formidable foe against President Trump in the upcoming general election but noted that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee may not have control over his pick for vice president.
“Has former Vice President Biden lost his step, or a lap, or even the energy necessary to run for president?” Hewitt asked.
“You know, ask me that in October. He’s doing well in his basement,” the South Carolina Republican quipped before cautioning Republicans not to underestimate Biden’s appeal to voters. “He’s nicer than Hillary Clinton. And he’s not as wild as Bernie Sanders on policy. He will be appealing at first glance, but what we have to do is associate him with an agenda that’s not appealing. He’s the front guy of a very dangerous agenda.”
Graham said that Biden has “put himself in a box” on his vice presidential pick, echoing a sentiment heard from Democrats that not choosing a minority woman would alienate progressive voters.
“That means your committee member Kamala Harris, doesn’t it?” Hewitt asked.
“I think she’s the leading candidate. I know her. I didn’t like what she did in Kavanaugh by any stretch of the imagination. But she’s hard-nosed. She’s smart. She’s tough,” Graham said, remarking on how the California Democrat could be an asset to Biden’s campaign.
During a Democratic debate with independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in mid-March, Biden pledged to choose a woman as his running mate.
“There are a number of women who are qualified to be president tomorrow. I would pick a woman to be vice president,” he said at the time.
Reports have also indicated that Biden is asking Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to undergo a vetting process for the position, a decision chided by black commentators such as radio host Charlamagne tha God.
Others have also said they’re being considered for the position, including New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Florida Rep. Val Demings. Additional potential candidates for Biden’s pick reportedly include Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Biden has a 5.3-point lead ahead of Trump nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics average. Still, recent polls have showed Trump leading in every battleground state, giving him the Electoral College advantage.
