Harris VP Contender Sends Speculation Into Overdrive With Deleted Post
It kinda looked like he was saying he’s no longer in the running.
Leah Millis/Reuters
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, one of the top contenders to be Kamala Harris’ running mate, fueled intrigue around the Democratic Party veepstakes with a quickly deleted post Sunday.
“My background is a bit different than most politicians,” Kelly wrote in a statement on X that has since been removed. “I spent my life serving in the Navy and at NASA, where the mission always comes first. Now, my mission is serving Arizonans.”
Kelly later posted another message that did not indicate a focus on Arizona specifically.
“Whether it was from my time in the Navy and at NASA, serving in the United States Senate, or visiting our troops overseas: I’ve learned that when your country asks you to serve, you always answer the call,” the tweet read. The second post remains visible on Kelly’s X account as of Monday morning.
Amid frenzied speculation that Kelly’s first post indicated that he was no longer in the running to be Harris’ VP pick, Kelly’s spokesman Jacob Peters said it was deleted because it was being misunderstood, according to The New York Times. “An Arizona senator tweeting about being an Arizona senator is not news!” Peters wrote in his own X post in response to the intrigue. “Go back to your Sundays everybody!”
Sign Up for Our Beast Digest Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The disappearing tweet furor came after Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker sparked a similar frenzy on Friday by posting a video that urged voters to support “Harris for president” and Pennsylvania Gov. “Josh Shapiro for vice president.”
A source close to Parker told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the clip was “not an announcement of anything” and that she was just “showing her support for a longtime friend who we know is one of the people being considered” for Harris’ running mate.
With her search for a VP in its final stages, Harris interviewed Kelly, Shapiro, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at her Naval Observatory residence on Sunday, sources told Reuters. Harris is now expected to unveil her running mate any time before her first public appearance with her pick in Philadelphia on Tuesday, according to the news agency.
Harris’ campaign said early Monday that the vice president and her running mate will then embark on a tour across key battleground states.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation