The black former police chief tipped to be Joe Biden’s running mate

Barack Obama said having Biden join his ticket was among his wisest decisions, writes Andrew Buncombe, and now the Democrats’ presumptive nominee must make his own choice

Val Demings is among a dozen women under consideration for the ticket (Getty)

Some of those calling for Val Demings to be made Joe Biden’s running mate will direct you enthusiastically to a piece of video from last summer. It shows the Democratic congresswoman questioning special counsel Robert Mueller, when he testified before the House judiciary committee, about his investigation of Donald Trump. Demings, 63, is firm and sharp, but she is clearly aware of Mueller’s apparent physical decline and his frequent confusion. There is nothing to be gained, she appears to sense, by pressing too hard.

Rather she leaves him with an open-ended question – had the president’s “answers showed that he wasn’t always being truthful”?

“I would say generally,” Mueller agreed with a smile, delivering one of the key admissions Democrats had been seeking.