On Sunday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) justified his decision to withdraw from consideration as Vice President Harris’s running mate. “I informed the Harris campaign early on that this was not the right moment for me or for North Carolina,” Cooper stated on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.”
Hosts Michael Steele and Symone Sanders-Townsend highlighted that Cooper’s choice was influenced by concerns that North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) might gain power if Cooper stepped down.
Governor Roy Cooper highlighted that Harris has a lot of qualified candidates to pick
They played clips of Robinson’s controversial remarks, including derogatory comments about LGBTQ+ individuals and inflammatory statements about abortion. Cooper explained that North Carolina’s rules would make Robinson the acting governor whenever Cooper was absent from the state. This concern was a remarkable factor in his decision to remove himself from vice presidential consideration.
“It doesn’t make sense for Robinson to take over when I’m out of state, whether I’m testifying in Washington, recruiting business abroad, or attending a family funeral,” Cooper said. “For example, during a trip to Japan, Robinson held a press conference and made a proclamation honoring Israel, likely in response to previous controversial comments he made.”
He added, “Had I been on the ticket as vice president, Robinson might have frequently made headlines, which could have created serious distractions, magnified by the presidential campaign.” Cooper also noted that Harris has many qualified candidates to choose from.
“We look forward to welcoming them to North Carolina next Thursday with a big rally to kick off our campaign. I’m feeling the same excitement we had in 2008 when we helped Obama win North Carolina,” he said.
Harris is expected to announce her vice presidential pick soon, with several Democrats, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, rumored to be on the shortlist.
