Vice President Kamala Harris called on Americans to join her to “chart a new way forward” as she accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday, arguing her personal story and prosecutorial background made her uniquely qualified to protect their interests and beat Republican Donald Trump.
Quick Read
- Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, urging Americans to “chart a new way forward” and emphasizing her qualifications to protect their interests and defeat Donald Trump.
- Harris highlighted her personal story as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants and her background as a prosecutor, asserting that she has always served the people, unlike Trump, who she claimed has only served himself.
- She spoke about her upbringing, the influence of her parents’ social justice values, and her commitment to upholding constitutional principles, fair elections, and the peaceful transfer of power.
- Harris made a direct appeal to anti-Trump Republicans and criticized Trump’s record, warning of the dangers of his potential second term.
- The convention was marked by a festive atmosphere, historic reflections, and notable speakers, including Al Sharpton and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who praised Harris’ candidacy and urged unity against Trump.
The Associated Press has the story:
Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic presidential nomination
Newslooks- CHICAGO (AP) —
Vice President Kamala Harris called on Americans to join her to “chart a new way forward” as she accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday, arguing her personal story and prosecutorial background made her uniquely qualified to protect their interests and beat Republican Donald Trump.
Taking the stage to a thunderous standing ovation at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Harris sought to introduce herself to the American public and outline her vision for leading the nation for the next four years.
“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said. “A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”
Harris’ address in Chicago caps a whirlwind eight weeks in American politics and manifests the stunning reversal of Democratic fortunes just 75 days until Election Day. Party leaders who had publicly despaired over President Joe Biden’s candidacy after his disastrous debate against Trump, were jubilant both at the historic nature of Harris’ candidacy and their buoyed hopes for this November.
The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris became the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to accept a major party’s presidential nomination. If elected, she would become the first female U.S. president.
“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected. But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys,” she said.
Harris talked about being raised primarily by her mother after her parents divorced in a small apartment in San Francisco’s East Bay, and being raised as well by friends and caregivers who were “family by love.” She also detailed a key part of her political origin story, when Wanda, her best friend from high school, confided in her that she was being abused by her stepfather and came to live with Harris’ family.
“That is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. To protect people like Wanda,” Harris said.
Outlining her career as a prosecutor, state attorney general, senator and now vice president, Harris said, “My entire career I’ve only had one client: the people.” Meanwhile, she said Trump has only ever acted in the interests of “the only client he has ever had: himself.”
As she took the stage, she saw a sea of female delegates and Democratic supporters wearing white — the color of women’s suffrage — the movement that culminated with American women securing the right to vote in 1920.
A festive mood filled the United Center all evening, with a packed audience including running mate Tim Walz dancing and singing along to a mix of pop and classic rock. Two of Harris’ young grandnieces were brought onstage by actress Kerry Washington to remind the convention how to correctly pronounce her first name. At the girls’ direction, one side of the arena shouted “comma” and the other “la.”
Harris made a direct appeal to anti-Trump Republicans to put aside party labels and to support her over Trump, who denied his loss to Biden in the 2020 election, which inspired the Jan. 6 2021 Capitol insurrection.
“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris said. “I promise to be a president for all Americans to hold sacred America’s constitutional principles, fundamental principles, from the rule of law and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.”
The prosecutor in Harris surfaced during the speech when, in referring to Donald Trump, she referred several times to “his explicit intent” to free those who assaulted law enforcement officers at the Capitol, jail political opponents, and use the military against American citizens.
“Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again,” she added.
Despite speculation about a potential surprise appearance by the music superstar Beyoncé at Thursday’s convention ahead of Harris’ speech, a source involved in the evening’s planning who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said she would not be in attendance.
Among others who spoke before Harris on Thursday were Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Gabby Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was nearly killed in a mass shooting in 2011, and civil rights leader Al Sharpton.
Sharpton highlighted the historic nature of Harris’ nomination, noting that 52 years ago, he was a youth director for former Rep. Shirley Chisholm’s 1972 Democratic primary bid for the White House. Chisholm, who was Black, died in 2005, but Sharpton drew cheers when he declared, “I know she’s watching us tonight as a Black woman stands up to accept the nomination for president of the United States.”
Sharpton also introduced the now-exonerated members of the Central Park Five — the Black teenagers who were wrongly convicted of rape in New York City in 1989. Trump took out full-page newspaper ads at the time calling for five to receive the death penalty — and even today sidesteps calls to apologize.
Republicans, meanwhile, have raced to define Harris, accusing her of being a “communist” and “dangerously liberal.” Trump has also targeted her race, while his running mate JD Vance describes her as a “chameleon.”
The convention granted a prime speaking slot to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Republican critic of Trump’s who said: “Whatever policies we disagree on pale in comparison with those fundamental matters of principle. Of decency. Of fidelity to this nation. To my fellow Republicans: If you still pledge allegiance to those principles, I suspect you belong here, too.”
Casting Harris as the better guarantor of the nation’s security, former Obama administration Defense Secretary Leon Panetta evoked Ronald Reagan and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona slammed Trump for targeting the late Republican Sen. John McCain, the GOP nominee for president in 2008.
“John McCain was an American hero,” Gallego said. “Show some respect.”
Harris’ team has emphasized her law enforcement background, including her time as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general. She was later elected to the U.S. Senate and sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
Her campaign imploded that year before a single primary vote was cast, but Biden chose her as his running mate, catapulting her to the national stage.
Although Harris initially struggled as vice president, her reputation grew when she became the administration’s leading advocate for abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Democrats harnessed anger over the decision to stem their losses in the last midterm elections.
When Biden stumbled in his debate with Trump in June, Harris defended him until he decided to drop out of the race. With the help of his endorsement, she swiftly unified the Democratic Party behind her candidacy, resetting a presidential race that Trump had appeared on track to win.
Harris charts ‘a new way forward’
“We are not going back” chants broke out in the venue as Harris criticized Trump’s record and began outlining her vision for the nation.
“We are charting a new way forward, forward to a future with a strong middle class,” Harris said. “And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”
Harris lays out her case against Trump
Harris is issuing warnings about how Trump’s prior willingness to violate the law indicates a willingness for a reckless second term if he’s elected to the White House again.
The former prosecutor listed off Trump’s conviction in the New York fraud case, as well as the judgment against him in the E. Jean Carroll case.
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails and how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States, not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security but to serve the only client that he has ever had: himself,” Harris warned.
‘A president for all Americans’
The loudest applause came after Harris made a plea to all across the aisle, saying that she pledges to uphold the rule of law.
“I promise to be a president for all Americans, to hold sacred America’s constitutional principles, fundamental principles, from the rule of law and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power,” she said.
Harris said her best friend Wanda is one of the reasons she became a prosecutor
She said Wanda confided in her that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather when they were in high school. Harris invited her friend to come live with her.
“This is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor,” Harris said. “Everyone has a right to safety and to dignity and to justice.”
‘Kamala Harris, for the people’
One of the advantages of having run for president before is that Harris has had time to hone parts of the campaign speech that comprises pieces of what she’s delivering at the DNC.
In her 2020 presidential bid, Harris often spoke of her role as a prosecutor and the personal experiences that inspired her to take on that career.
She also reflected, verbatim, several lines that date back to least her 2019 campaign launch, saying that she always introduced herself as “Kamala Harris, for the people.”
Afterward, Harris said that she accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, to a roaring, sign-waving crowd.
Harris reflects on her parents’ social-justice values
Harris drew a direct line between her current values and politics with her upbringing in a civil rights-oriented household. Harris noted that her parents met amid the civil rights movement and raised her with values of social justice.
“My mother was a five-foot-tall, brown woman with an accent,” Harris said. “And as the eldest child … I saw how the world would sometimes treat her, but my mother never lost her cool,” Harris said.
“She taught us to never complain about injustice but to do something about it,” Harris said to cheers. “And she also told us to never do something ‘half-assed.’ And that is a direct quote,” Harris said.
Harris honors her parents
Harris might be a well-known figure as vice president, but, on the biggest stage of her presidential campaign thus far, she’s still taking the opportunity to get into some biography.
After a speech by her sister, Maya, who made repeated references to their mother’s accomplishments, Harris — who doesn’t frequently mention her father — spoke about both of her parents, then her upbringing, primarily at the hands of her mother.
In an emotional tribute to her mother and father, Harris talked about the lessons she learned from both her parents who divorced when she was young. “My mother would stay, stay close,” she said. “But my father would say as he smiled, ‘Run Kamala! Run! Don’t be afraid. Don’t let anything stop you.’”
Kamala Harris is on the stage for the fourth and final night of the DNC
Harris was greeted by an ovation that spanned nearly 3 minutes before she was able to begin her speech.
“OK, let’s get to business,” Harris said after thunderous cheers drowned out her attempts to get started.
“And happy anniversary, Dougie,” she said, marking their 10th wedding anniversary.
