Kamala Harris, who is of mixed Indian and African American descent, remains on a shortening list of candidates Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, could pick as his running mate as the party announced on Tuesday its list of speakers for the national convention to be held virtually next week.
The list of VP probables is much shorter than the one Biden that followed his announcement weeks ago that he will pick a woman. Harris, a senator from California, has remained on the list as some others dropped out. So have Congresswoman Karen Baas and former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. Senator Tammy Duckworth and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms are also there.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Tuesday a list of speakers for the four nights of the convention starting August 17, during which Biden will be officially crowned as the party’s nominee to take on President Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent
Speakers include former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton and former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Also on the list were Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the most senior woman politician in the US, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the two leaders of the progressive wing of the party, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the rock-star progressive congresswoman from New York.
Former Ohio governor John Kasich, a Republican, is also on the list of speakers in recognition perhaps of — and in a tactical move to tap into — Republicans opposed to President Trump. The Lincoln Project — a group of former Republican strategists and operatives that include John McCain campaign head Steve Schmidt, Mitt Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens and several leading NeverTrumpers — has run some of the most hard-hitting campaign ads against Trump.
{{/usCountry}}Former Ohio governor John Kasich, a Republican, is also on the list of speakers in recognition perhaps of — and in a tactical move to tap into — Republicans opposed to President Trump. The Lincoln Project — a group of former Republican strategists and operatives that include John McCain campaign head Steve Schmidt, Mitt Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens and several leading NeverTrumpers — has run some of the most hard-hitting campaign ads against Trump.
{{/usCountry}}The Republican convention starts on August 24 and will also be all done virtually, though some ground-activity in Charlottesville, North Carolina are still being considered.
President Trump on Monday confirmed reports that he is looking at Gettysburg, the site of the iconic 1863 address by President Abraham Lincoln, as one of the venues for his convention speech accepting the party’s nomination to seek a second term. The other venue up for consideration is White House.
The Republican National Committee has yet to announce other details about the convention, including speakers.