#Amy Klobuchar withdraws as potential Biden running mate, urges ‘woman of color’ VP nod

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar
Jonathan Ernst – CNP / MEGA

The Minnesota senator withdrew her name from the list of possible running mates Thursday night, reasoning Democratic nominee Joe Biden should use the “moment to put a woman of color” on his ticket.

“America must seize on the moment and I truly believe — as I actually told the VP last night when I called him — that I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket,” she told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell in an interview Thursday night.

“And there are so many incredible, qualified women,” she went on. “But if you wanna heal this nation right now, my party yes, but our nation, this is a hell of a way to do it.”

Klobuchar’s decision reflects the weeks of civil unrest across the country and globe following the police killing of George Floyd in her home state.

She had initially resisted dropping out from vice president considerations after Floyd’s killing brought fresh scrutiny of her criminal justice record when she served as a prosecutor in Hennepin County. There she had failed to get charges brought against Derek Chauvin — the police officer who was seen with his knee on Floyd’s neck — for a separate incident of fatally shooting another man.

Klobuchar dismissed speculation that her record would have made it more difficult to justify her as a potential VP.

“I think I could’ve functioned fine and there’s a lot of untruths out there about my record and now is not the time to debate those,” she told MSNBC.

Biden has vowed to select a woman as his running mate and his campaign has pledged to make a decision by Aug. 1.