Joe Biden wanted someone else? Report claims Kamala Harris VP pick wasn’t his first choice

Joe Biden VP pick controversy explained: A new report suggests that former US president Joe Biden may have had a different preference in mind before selecting former vice president Kamala Harris as his running mate in 2020.

Did Biden Prefer Gretchen Whitmer Over Kamala Harris

According to a profile by The Atlantic, Biden had strongly considered Gretchen Whitmer for the vice presidential role. Whitmer, who gained national attention for her pushback against the US president Donald Trump, was reportedly vetted and even met Biden in person during the selection process, as reported by the New York Post.

How Gretchen Whitmer Emerged as a Top Contender

The report claims Biden “wanted it to be Whitmer,” and by the summer of 2020, “All of this attention seemed like it might add up to something, and by summer 2020, Whitmer was being vetted for vice president," as quoted by New York Post.


While she was initially unsure about stepping into a Washington-based role, people familiar with her thinking at that time said she eventually became open to it and was prepared to say yes if asked, as per the report. However, that call never came.

Why Kamala Harris Became the Final Pick

Instead, the report suggests that the broader political climate at the time played a role in the final decision. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests, a former senior staffer for Whitmer said, “The moment called for a black running mate,” which ultimately led to Harris being chosen.

A former adviser to both Biden and Harris also said that this claim carried “some weight,” as quoted by The New York Post.

Gretchen Whitmer’s Reaction to Missing VP Role

Despite not being selected, Whitmer continued to support the Biden-Harris campaign and “never wavered” in her backing, according to the report, even up to Biden’s eventual exit from the 2024 presidential race.

Whitmer later confirmed that she had gone through the vetting process and would have accepted the role if offered, saying that, “If Joe Biden had called and said, ‘I need you to be my partner and be my running mate,’ I would have said yes,” adding, “This election was that important,” as quoted by The New York Post.

FAQs

Did Joe Biden want Gretchen Whitmer as VP?
Reports suggest he strongly considered her and “wanted it to be Whitmer.”

Why wasn’t Whitmer chosen?
The political climate, including the Black Lives Matter protests, influenced the decision.