Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres has thrown his weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will not seek reelection in November.
With the Democratic National Convention set for Aug. 19 and the general election just four months away, Biden’s decision has added an unexpected twist into the race. Torres, however, sees Harris as the natural successor, saying her ascension has "an aura of inevitability."
Speaking on "Mornings On 1" Monday, Torres, D-Bronx, applauded Biden’s decision to step down as a "historic act of statesmanship” and added that he saw the move as “honorable and noble.”
Looking ahead to the general election, Torres believes Harris will serve as a representative of the future.
"The race between Kamala Harris, if she is the Democratic nominee—and I suspect she will be—and Donald Trump is going to be a contrast between the future and the past. She's going to represent the future, and Donald Trump is a relic of the past,” he said.
"The race is likely to become a referendum on Donald Trump. And there's no issue on which Donald Trump is more vulnerable than abortion,” Torres added. “And the most powerful voice for reproductive freedom has been Vice President Kamala Harris. So that is a debate we are looking forward to having in the presidential election."
Torres criticized those pushing for an open primary at the convention, saying they are “asking for a continuation of the chaos and confusion that has engulfed Washington, D.C., for the past few weeks.”
He stressed that there should be an air of unity at the DNC.
"The DNC is not the WWE. I am against reducing the Democratic convention to a reality television show. We should leave that to Donald Trump,” Torres said.