Biden, Harris Appear As Running Mates For 1st Time

WILMINGTON, DE — Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appeared together for the first time as running mates on the 2020 Democratic presidential ticket, each delivering speeches from a high school gymnasium in Biden's hometown on Wednesday.

"I have no doubt that I picked the right person to be the next Vice President of the United States of America," Biden said, calling Harris "a proven fighter for the backbone of this country: the middle class."

"She knows how to govern and make the hard calls," he said. "She's worked hard, never backed down from a challenge and has earned all her accolades."

Harris said she's "incredibly honored by this responsibility," while taking a sharp critique at how the current administration has handled the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"We are reeling from the worst public health crisis in a century," she said. "This president's handling of it has plunged us into the worst economic recession since the Great Depression."

"America is crying out for leadership, yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him."

Biden and Harris both talked of how they first met, through Biden's late son: former Attorney General of Delaware Beau Biden.

"Beau and I spoke on the phone every day, sometimes more than once a day in working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks," Harris said, referring to her and Beau Biden both serving as state attorney generals during the 2008 recession and housing crisis.

Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, selected Harris to be his vice presidential candidate a day earlier. The two are expected to officially be nominated during next week's Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee.

Read: Kamala Harris Chosen As Joe Biden's Running Mate