INDIAN-ORIGIN California Senator Kamala Harris helped former vice president and 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to raise $3.5 million during the virtual mega fund raiser.
Tuesday's (9) fundraiser is the second-largest single event haul so far for the Biden campaign, which raised $4 million at an event in early June.
This assumes significance as the Democratic Party leaders consider the 55-year-old Harris to be one of the front-runners to be the nominee for the vice president.
Introducing Harris to the 1,400 supporters present at the event, Biden underlined the history-breaking nature of her past electoral wins. "For much of her career, she was the only person in the room who looked like she did," he said.
At the start of the campaign last year, Harris was very critical of Biden. She later endorsed him.
"He (Biden)is someone who whether one-on-one or speaking to the nation always has a sense of how people are experiencing this world, and what their needs are. This moment in the history of our country really represents an extraordinary exercise in contrast," said Harris referring to Biden's meeting with George Floyd's family.
"On the other hand, we have a Donald Trump who had the gall to dispatch the US military to clear the streets so that he could prance down and then, like a prop, hold up the bible for a photo op.".
"There are so many contrasts between Joe Biden and Donald Trump that really point to the choice that we as Americans have today," Harris said. California Lt Governor Eleni Kounalakis also joined the fund raiser.
Participating in the questions and answers session, Harris said America has still not fully embraced, acknowledged or addressed its history of racism and its current history of racism.
"One can think of this moment as an inflection moment, and it will require bold action and it will require immediate action. This stresses the importance and the immediacy and the urgency of electing Joe Biden," she said.
She added that the election is going to be rough and tumble.
"There are very powerful forces that thrive off of the hate and division that Donald Trump has been sowing. This is not going to be easy. And we have about just a few months to get this thing done," she added.
