Biden says he'd consider a Republican for VP but 'I can't think of one right now'

Savannah Behrmann, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON – When former Vice President and 2020 Democratic contender Joe Biden was asked Monday whether he was open to considering a Republican as a running mate, he answered: "I would, but I can’t think of one now.”

Speaking to voters in New Hampshire, Biden went on to say, “There are some really decent Republicans that are out there still, but here’s the problem right now of the well-known ones: They’ve got to step up."

Biden also noted that it was brazen to discuss whom he would tap as a running mate as he has not yet secured the Democratic nomination.

However, just one day after she ended her presidential campaign earlier in December, Biden said "of course" he would consider Sen. Kamala Harris as his vice president.

Biden elaborated Monday, saying, "Whomever I would pick were I fortunate enough to be your nominee, I'd pick somebody who was simpatico with me, who knew what I — what my priorities were and knew what I wanted to."

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"We could disagree on tactic, but strategically we'd have to be in the exact same page," he quipped.

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Biden has touted his ability to work with the GOP throughout his political career as a selling point to voters.

At the last Democratic debate, Biden said he refused “to accept the notion, as some on this stage do, that we can never, never get to a place where we have cooperation again. If that’s the case, we’re dead as a country.”

“If anyone has reason to be angry with Republicans and not want to cooperate, it’s me. They have attacked me, my son, my family,” he said, addressing the GOP's unfounded claims that Biden strong-armed the Ukrainian government to fire its top prosecutor in order to thwart an investigation into an Ukrainian energy company tied to his son, Hunter Biden.

Reaching across party lines for a running mate pick is unprecedented in modern history.

The last person to consider doing so was the late Republican Senator John McCain in 2008, when he considered Democrat turned independent former Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his VP pick before selecting Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Election 2020: Joe Biden says he would consider Republican running mate