Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) downplayed chatter of Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) becoming a viable presidential candidate in a New York Times profile piece on the latter published Thursday by saying that she needs to concentrate on being a senator first.
The Times article discussed Harris' rapid rise in the Democratic Party and speculation that she could be a potential contender in the 2020 presidential election, the Hill reported.
"What she should do is concentrate on being a good, and possibly great, United States senator," Feinstein, 84, said. "The rest will either happen or not happen."
"She just got here," the senior senator added.
The article was published after CNN reported that Harris raised over $600,000 during the first half of 2017 for Senate Democrats in the 2018 election cycle, according to the Hill.
Harris was elected to the Senate last November, after being endorsed by then-President Obama.
Harris, who served as California's attorney general, made history becoming the first Indian American to serve in the Senate and the second black woman elected to the upper chamber.
She garnered national attention during the televised Senate Intelligence Committee hearing investigating alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Harris was publicly interrupted twice during these hearings by Sens. John McCain[R., Ariz.] and Richard Burr (R., N.C.), who told her to be quiet and let the officials being questioned answered.