New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has announced her plans for a 2020 presidential run during an appearance on late-night television. She told CBS host Stephen Colbert she has launched an exploratory committee for her bid on Tuesday. Mrs Gillibrand, a vocal supporter of the #MeToo movement, has made headlines for her sharp criticism of President Trump. She joins a growing group of Democrats hoping to win the party's nomination. "I'm filing an exploratory committee for president of the United States tonight!" she said in a clip of her taped interview released ahead of the programme on Tuesday night. Asked why she is running, Mrs Gillibrand, 52, replied: "As a young mom I'm going to fight for other people's kids as hard as I fight for my own, which is why I believe health care is a right and not a privilege." Registering an exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission allows Mrs Gillibrand to raise money like a presidential candidate before officially launching her bid. On the late-night programme, she listed healthcare, public schooling and job opportunities as big issues she would fight for - along with "taking on institutional racism" and "the corruption and greed in Washington". AFP.