First Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris announces her 2020 US presidential bid

Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin Senator, Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020 to take on President Donald Trump, saying she was "honoured" to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrated Martin Luther King Jr who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi.

A rising party star and vocal critic of President Trump, Harris, 54, is the fourth Democrat to join the battle for the party's nomination in the 2020 election.

"I am running for president," Harris said in a tweet along with a simultaneously released video message.

"Kamala Harris: For the People" is the theme of her campaign.

If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States.

"I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," she told the ABC News.

Explaining the significance of announcing her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Harris ..