President Donald Trump donated thousands to Joe Biden running mate Kamala Harris when she ran for attorney general in California, The Sacramento Bee reports.
Biden announced Harris would be the Democratic vice presidential nominee on Tuesday, drawing criticism from the Trump campaign. Harris has been a frequent thorn in the side of the administration, often confronting top officials at Senate hearings.
Before Trump and Harris feuded in DC, Trump made two donations to her campaign in 2011 and 2013, totaling $6,000.
Ivanka Trump also donated $2,000 to Harris in 2014.
Trump’s first $5,000 donation came shortly after he began to push the baseless and racist birther conspiracy theory against President Barack Obama.
Harris donated the contribution:
Harris spokesman Ian Sams told the Bee that Harris did not use Trump’s donation.
Instead, she donated the $6,000 he contributed to a non-profit organization that advocates for human rights for Central Americans.
The donation came in 2015, as she was launching her Senate campaign, long after Trump sent it and Harris won her race.
Trump slams pick:
Trump repeatedly called Harris “nasty” during a news conference after the pick was announced and noted that she “did very poorly” in the presidential primary.
“[email protected] started strong in the Democrat Primaries, and finished weak, ultimately fleeing the race with almost zero support,” Trump later wrote on Twitter. “That’s the kind of opponent everyone dreams of!”
Obama praised the selection.
“Joe Biden nailed this decision,” Obama said in a statement on Tuesday. “I’ve known Senator Harris for a long time. She is more than prepared for the job. She’s spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. Her own life story is one that I and so many others can see ourselves in: a story that says that no matter where you come from, what you look like, how you worship, or who you love, there’s a place for you here. It’s a fundamentally American perspective, one that’s led us out of the hardest times before. And it’s a perspective we can all rally behind right now.”
