Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D) confirmed Thursday that she has been interviewed by Joe Biden’s team as a potential vice presidential pick on the Democratic ticket.
“I have been interviewed, yes, I’m on Team Biden,” Duckworth told the Washington Post during an interview Thursday, adding, “But it really doesn’t matter what position I play as long as we get Joe Biden elected.”
The Post reported that a source with familiarity about the VP selection process confirmed that the senator had talks with a panel that Biden brought together to vet his potential picks. Duckworth made clear during the Post interview that she has frequently been in contact with Biden, saying she’s “always loved interacting with Vice President Biden.”
As a military veteran who received a Purple Heart, Duckworth noted in her interview with the Post that Biden was “a military family member.” She added that the Democratic presidential nominee and his wife “have been wonderful for our military men and women throughout their careers.”
“A war hero would make a terrific vice president of the United States,” Illinois Governor J.B.Pritzker (D) who has made no secret of his support for the senator told Yahoo News in a podcast interview that aired Thursday.
In spite of her military background, Duckworth fought off attacks from President Trump and Fox News host Tucker Carlson earlier this month, calling them “self-serving insecure men” after they questioned her patriotism. The challenge was prompted when she suggested conducting a “national dialogue” about the removal of statues of historical figures who have roots in slavery.
Carlson went so far as to suggest that Duckworth was among the Democrats who hated America and called the veteran who lost both of her legs in Iraq in 2004 after a helicopter she was co-piloting was shot down a “coward.”
Biden defended Duckworth at that time, calling attacks from Trump and his allies “disgusting” and “sickening.” He said that taking shots at Duckworth was a “reflection of the depravity of what’s going on in the White House right now.”
Biden has said he will decide on a running mate by next week. He has committed to selecting a woman and Duckworth is one of about a dozen he’s considering for the job.
