A report published by the Atlantic said Joe Biden privately preferred Gretchen Whitmer as his 2020 running mate but ultimately chose Kamala Harris due to pressure during the Black Lives Matter protests.

According to The Atlantic, Biden “wanted it to be Whitmer,” with one source saying “the moment called for a Black running mate,” influencing the final decision at the height of nationwide unrest in summer 2020.

Whitmer, who was vetted and said she would have accepted the role, remained publicly supportive and campaigned for the Biden-Harris ticket throughout the 2020 election.