Raskin refuses to say Harris is ‘best running mate’ for Biden

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) declined to endorse Vice President Harris as the best running mate for President Biden in 2024 when pressed by CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

“Do you think Vice President Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden? And what do you make of Speaker Pelosi’s answer there?” Tapper asked Raskin during the congressman’s appearance on his CNN newscast Thursday.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) similarly declined to say if Harris, a fellow California Democrat, was Biden’s best option for a running mate earlier this week.

“I mean, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with that answer,” Raskin said.

“Obviously, President Biden, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, for that matter, all of us have been laboring under just a deluge of propaganda, disinformation and criticism by the MAGA right,” the Democrat continued. “This is a rule or ruin faction, which takes the position that, if they’re not going to be able to control the direction of government, they are going to throw grease in the gears to try to shut everything down.”

“Congressman, you are doing what Speaker Pelosi did, which is not answering the question,” Tapper pressed Raskin, asking him again, “Do you think Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden?”

“Is it, well, obviously, she gave the right answer. That’s President Biden’s choice. And I think she’s an excellent running mate for President Biden,” Raskin said. “I don’t know what more needs to be said about that … And so there’s a very strong policy record to run on there. And I want to resist the tendency to try to trivialize all politics by making it just about personalities.”

Tapper shot back, “No one’s making it about personalities,” asking the Democrat a third time if Harris is the best running mate for Biden.

“I mean, I don’t know what else I can say, other than she would be an excellent running mate and an excellent vice president,” Raskin said, later joking to the anchor, “You might be a stronger vice presidential running mate than her or me or anybody else.”

“I’m only running as a member of the Bull Moose Party,” Tapper quipped back. “But I appreciate your vote.”