Harris is the best option for the Democratic presidential nomination - expert

RIGA - After US President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race for re-election, current US Vice President Kamala Harris is the best option for a possible Democratic candidacy, Maris Andzans, Director of the Center for Geopolitical Studies and a visiting scholar at Harvard University, told LETA.

He does not believe that with Biden's announcement it is safe to say that Donald Trump will be elected as US President. Trump is certainly ahead in the polls and in the ratings, but the margin, in his view, has been quite small.

"So it's premature to say that he's going to succeed. I think in this sense Hariss' candidacy is a good sign, because there was a lot of panic and a lot of anxiety in the Democratic ranks, because it would have been worse if Biden had just fallen off the podium in the next debate, or even crazier, if he had passed away," the expert stressed.

At the same time, Andzans admitted that Hariss is not very popular, but she is a proven asset and has national recognition.

At the moment, Harris is the best possible option for a nomination in this situation, and it is already evident that many Democratic Party heavyweights have expressed their support for her possible candidacy.

Asked whether Biden's refusal to run in the US presidential elections could be used by Russia and China to their advantage to take action in the world's hot spots, the expert replied that it was unlikely that both countries would try to challenge the US more actively now. "I don't think they will try to challenge anything, because Harris is on the same line, in a way she is a surrogate of Biden and has stood by him at all times," said Andzans.

Overall, the expert believes that more surprises are not ruled out in the run-up to the US presidential elections. "What could be more interesting than this! Two candidates who are basically 80 years old. One is convicted, then someone tries to kill him, and the other withdraws from the race. I think there are still surprises to come," Andzans added.

As reported, this past Sunday US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

After announcing his withdrawal from the presidential race, Biden endorsed Vice President Harris to become the Democratic Party's nominee for the US presidency.