Kamala Harris promises to 'prosecute the case' against Trump in 2020 election bid

Democrat senator vows to 'articulate the evidence that makes the case for why we need new leadership'

Democrat senator Kamala Harris has vowed to “prosecute the case” against Donald Trump as she runs to be president.

The former California attorney general suggested her legal experience would be an asset on the campaign trail as she seeks to convince voters to oust Mr Trump from the White House.

“I ... believe that voters are going to want is they are going to want is that there is someone who has the proven ability to prosecute the case against this administration and this president,” she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

“And that is going to be about having an ability and a proven ability to be able to articulate the evidence that makes the case for why we need new leadership in this country.”

Ms Harris sidestepped a question about whether she would ”continue to prosecute” Mr Trump and his associates if she was elected, telling Kimmel: “I’m very supportive of Bob Mueller being able to finish his process and do his job.”

The California senator is seen as a strong contender for the Democrat candidacy in 2020, although CNN polling released on Tuesday put her third behind Joe Biden – who has yet to announce a bid for the presidency – and Bernie Sanders.

Asked if she would prefer Mr Biden to stay out of the race, she replied: “I think that everyone who wants to run should run. And truly the more the merrier, because we do not lack for talent among Democrats.”

Ms Harris indicated she may support her Democratic competitor Elizabeth Warren's call to abolish the electoral college system, which gave Mr Trump a path to the White House despite him losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly three million ballots.

"I’m open to the discussion,” Ms Harris said. “There’s no question that the popular vote has been diminished in terms of making the final decision about who’s the president of the United States, and we need to deal with that.”