Late-night hosts welcome VP pick Kamala Harris: ‘The opposite’ of Mike Pence

Tuesday was a big day for America — and late-night TV — as Joe Biden finally revealed his 2020 running mate: California Sen. Kamala Harris.

James Corden, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel’s guest host, Sarah Cooper, all reacted Tuesday night to Biden’s historic pick. Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, is the first woman of color to appear on a major party’s presidential ticket.

“Kamala Harris will be the first Black and South Asian American woman on a major party ticket,” Corden said on “The Late Late Show.” “Basically, Joe Biden told his committee, ‘You see Mike Pence? Give me the opposite of that.’”

“Say what you want about Joe, but the man went Black and he’s not going back,” Noah quipped on “The Daily Show.”

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Comedian and TikTok star Cooper, known for her viral lip-sync impersonations of President Trump, kicked off her stint filling in for Kimmel with some important presidential news of her own — sort of.

“I have an announcement to make,” Cooper said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “I am not going to be the next vice president of the United States. It was down to me and Kamala, but Joe wanted to go with someone who has experience. The good news is, I now have the night free to guest host this show.”

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A couple of the hosts especially looked forward to Harris squaring off against Vice President Mike Pence on the debate floor. The 2020 vice presidential debate is set to take place Oct. 7 at the University of Utah.

“She’s only had the job for a few hours, but Kamala is already gearing up for her debate with Mike Pence,” Fallon said on “The Tonight Show.” “That’s why she spent the entire day arguing with a mannequin at Kohl’s.”

“She’s more than ready to campaign, Kamala Harris,” Corden said. “Apparently she’s already been practicing for her televised debate with Mike Pence. She’s been arguing with a jar of mayonnaise.”

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Meanwhile, others couldn’t help but remember Harris’ performance opposite her new political partner during the Democratic debates earlier this year.

“I gotta say, I’m impressed that Biden picked Kamala, even after she destroyed him at that debate,” Noah said. “In fact, part of me thinks he only picked her so that she can just never dust his ass in public again. This isn’t a VP pick. It’s an insurance policy.”

“Sen. Harris is a surprising choice considering just how hard she went after him — I mean, with hammer and tongs — over busing, issues of racial equality,” Colbert said on “The Late Show.” “I mean, she hit him so hard he was spitting teeth like Chiclets all over the stage.”

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