(NewsNation) — Stephen A. Smith says Vice President Kamala Harris was the “obvious choice” to serve as the Democratic nominee for president after President Joe Biden ended his 2024 reelection campaign.
“The synergy, the cohesiveness that you need, she obviously brings that to the table. Plus, she was your vice president, to me it’s an obvious choice to make here,” Smith said during an interview Monday night on NewsNation’s “Cuomo.”
If elected as the nation’s 47th president, Harris would be the first woman, first Black woman and first Asian American person to hold his position.
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Smith said as a Black man, he’d be “incredibly proud” if she became president but emphasized that his support is based primarily on her qualifications rather than her identity as a Black woman.
“At his particular point, I’m about what’s best for America; that’s the number one thing that I want,” he said. “She’s a former district attorney in San Francisco, former Attorney General in the state of California, a U.S. senator — she’s put in the time, she’s putting in the work; she has the credentials, she has the intellect.”
He added: “We have to make sure that it’s somebody that’s qualified, she is qualified, make no mistake about it. But I’m not thinking about Black or white or anything like that. I’m thinking about the best person for the job.”
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Smith believes Harris has a chance to win the election but acknowledges it will be an uphill battle. He noted Republicans gained momentum and voters are now starting to hear more about the Biden-Harris administration’s accomplishments after a period of attention on former President Donald Trump’s legal cases and investigations.
“The presidency of the United States is the Republican against the Democrat. It’s going to be hard against Trump and to me, that is a battle she has a chance to win,” Smith said.
Although he previously vowed to stay in the race, Biden ended his reelection bid Sunday after pressure from several fellow Democrats and public figures calling for his withdrawal. He endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
