Vice President Kamala Harris closed out the four-day Democratic National Convention with a powerful display of leadership in a speech that was both biographical and emotionally driven. Sharing the story of her family’s humble beginnings, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination for president and took the crowd through a journey of being raised in the Bay Area by her single mother and how she was motivated to succeed because of it.
Seizing on the momentum gained from the moment President Joe Biden decided to not seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with a command not unlike her time as senator and as Vice President, garnering applause at almost every stanza in her speech.
As she accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to become its presidential candidate, Harris kept her message straightforward and pushed back against the negative attacks toward her and her running mate Gov. Tim Walz with class. Like several speakers before her, Harris spoke about the importance of a strong democracy, opportunity for all, and a devotion to the values that Americans of all walks of life hold dear.
Harkening back to her days as a prosecutor en route to becoming California’s Attorney General, Harris reminded attendees and viewers at home that her focus then and now was to fight against criminals, give voice to those who feel they have been wrong by the system, and to never waver in the face of those who look to skirt by the legal system.
In a portion of Harris’ speech, she referenced the attempted January 6 insurrection that took place at the site of the U.S. Capitol, placing the impetus squarely on her opponent, Donald Trump. She mentioned Trump by name at several intervals, at one point saying that he desires to be an autocrat in the same vein as North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un.
With more pressing matters in mind, Harris also made certain to hit back at critics regarding border security, foreign policy, and strengthening the military, which contrasts greatly with Trump’s messaging that she is an extreme Leftist hoping to insert Communist rule in America.
Harris also spoke of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, a moment in history that pundits and observers alike feel could end up being a stain on the Biden-Harris administration. It was artful in how she still positioned her talking points to call for peace in the region and called for an end to the conflict, most especially the hostage situation, but those words may not be enough to sway some of her harshest critics who stand on the side of Palestinians.
On X, formerly Twitter, reactions to Vice President Harris accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination for president and her speech were rapid as they were glowing. We’ve got the best of them below.
Here is the video of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech by way of PBS NewsHour below.
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