Rep. Xavier Becerra offered an ambiguous answer Sunday when asked if Hillary Clinton’s campaign was vetting him to be the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee.
“I can’t tell you I know. I know that I’m in constant communication with the (Clinton) campaign on a number of items, but I can’t tell you I know where they are on this vetting process,” Becerra told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” after an awkward pause and an attempted pivot to Father’s Day.
Becerra, a Democrat representing part of Los Angeles, has cropped up on some short lists of potential running mates for Clinton. A member of the House Democratic leadership, Becerra would bring legislative know-how as well as diversity to the ticket, given his Mexican heritage. That, along with his pointed record on immigration reform, could draw a significant contrast with Donald Trump on the Republican presumptive nominee’s signature issue.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro have both said in recent days that they do not believe the Clinton campaign is vetting them despite persistent rumors that they were in contention for the No. 2 spot.
Becerra’s implication that he might be under consideration for the role comes days after Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren personally visited Clinton campaign headquarters in Brooklyn. Warren has become an increasingly vocal critic of Trump — a characteristic often prized in the combative vice presidential campaign role.