Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been made Time’s Person of the Year 2020. This is the first time a President and Vice president have been named Person of the Year. Person of the Year is a person, group, idea, or thing that is decided to be the most influential in the year’s events.

Although Biden and Kamala won the Presidential election, that is not the only reason why they were named Person of the Year. According to Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal, they were awarded that title for their empathy.

 “For changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME’s 2020 Person of the Year,” said Felsenthal. 

The other finalists on Time’s shortlist were President Donald Trump, Frontline Health Care Workers and Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Movement for Racial Justice, according to Time.com.

During a taped interview, President-elect Joe Biden said that had Trump been re-elected, it would have changed who Americans were for a long time.

“This moment was one of those do-or-die moments,” he said.

Kamala Harris speaks on her future plans. While being asked in a Time interview what is the first thing she wants to do in this role (vice presidency), Harris acknowledges the challenges she will face.

“We’re at a moment where we are being confronted by many crises that have converged.  We’re talking about a public health crisis. We are in the midst of an economic crisis, a long overdue reckoning on racial injustice and a climate crisis. We got a lot of things that we need to handle, and we multitask to address them all.”Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been made Time’s Person of the Year 2020. This is the first time a President and Vice president have been named Person of the Year. Person of the Year is a person, group, idea, or thing that is decided to be the most influential in the year’s events.

Although Biden and Kamala won the Presidential election, that is not the only reason why they were named Person of the Year. According to Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal, they were awarded that title for their empathy.