Senator Elizabeth Warren Backs Biden for Second Term, Declines to Endorse Harris as Running Mate
Senator Elizabeth Warren has thrown her support behind President Joe Biden for a second term in the White House, while stopping short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate.
In an interview with Boston Public Radio on Friday, Warren, a senator from Massachusetts and former presidential candidate, said she wants to see Biden run for a second term.[0] She refused to speculate on whether Harris should be the running mate, expressing her desire to allow Biden to decide what he is most comfortable with.
Warren declared, “Yes, he should run again.” He is once again running.
The interviewer then questioned Biden's age, noting that he would be 86 years old at the end of a potential second term.[1]
“He is running again,” Warren said. “He has gotten a tremendous amount done,” despite Democrats having the “skinniest possible” majority in the Senate and a narrow majority in the House.[2] Republicans took control of the House in last fall’s midterm elections.[0]
She particularly commended the Inflation Reduction Act for being the first raise in corporate tax in 30 years, as well as the CHIPS and Science initiative to motivate the production of semiconductors in the US.[0]
Warren said that she was wholeheartedly behind President Biden running for another four years, but declined to say whether she thought Harris, 58, should continue as his deputy.
She stated that she would like to abide by what makes Biden feel comfortable when it comes to his team. “I’ve known Kamala for a long time. I like Kamala. I knew her back when she was an attorney general, and I was still teaching, and we worked on the housing crisis together, so we go way back. But they need — they have to be a team, and my sense is they are — I don’t mean that by suggesting I think there are any problems. I think they are.”[3]
Warren and Harris both ran as presidential candidates in 2020 but Harris went on to be Biden's Vice President. Should he choose to run again, Biden has declared that Harris would be his vice presidential nominee. This month Warren said she will run for Massachusetts Senator a third time.[1]
0. “Warren throws support behind Biden for reelection, defers on Harris as running mate” The Hill, 29 Jan. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3834776-warren-throws-support-behind-biden-for-reelection-defers-on-harris-as-running-mate
1. “Elizabeth Warren refuses to back Kamala Harris as the next Vice President” Daily Mail, 29 Jan. 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11689387/Elizabeth-Warren-refuses-Kamala-Harris-Vice-President.html
2. “Elizabeth Warren refuses to back Kamala Harris as vice-president” The Times, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/elizabeth-warren-refuses-to-back-kamala-harris-as-vice-president-lvh68kl7j
3. “Twitter reacts to Warren stopping short of endorsing VP Harris for re-election: ‘Interesting word choice'” Fox News, 29 Jan. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/twitter-reacts-warren-stopping-short-endorsing-vp-harris-re-election-interesting-word-choice
