- Sen.
Amy Klobuchar has withdrawn from the running to be formerVice President Joe Biden 's vice president. - Speaking to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Thursday, she said Biden should choose a woman of color as his running mate instead.
- "This is a historic moment," she said. "I think this is a moment to put a woman of color on that ticket."
- Klobuchar's decision comes after weeks of protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar has withdrawn from the running to be presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's vice president, saying that he should choose a woman of color instead.
Speaking to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Thursday, the Senator from Minnesota and former 2020 contender said that she called Biden yesterday and told him to choose a woman of color as his running mate.
"This is a historic moment," she said.
"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 continued.
"And there are so many incredible, qualified women. But if you wanna heal this nation right now, my party yes, but our nation, this is a helluva way to do it," she added.
Biden said last month that he hopes to announce his vice president pick by August 1.
The 77-year-old has narrowed down his list of vice presidential candidates, according to The Washington Post, and several Black women, including Sen. Kamala Harris, former national security adviser Susan Rice, Rep. Val Demmings of Florida, and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, have been shortlisted.
Klobuchar's decision comes after weeks of protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a Black man, died after he was knelt on for nearly nine minutes by a white police officer.
Floyd's killing has prompted calls for police reform across the nation and has ignited protests for racial justice in the US and around the world in solidarity.