Vice President Kamala Harris tore into former President Donald Trump over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, his recent legal woes, his plans for a second presidency and the overturning of Roe v. Wade in accepting the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday.
Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Key Takeaways
- Harris called Trump an “unserious man,” warning “the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” noting the widely criticized Project 2025 agenda written by his allies, the Supreme Court’s recent ruling granting him broad immunity for official acts and his promise to free jailed Jan. 6 rioters.
- Harris vowed to “hold sacred America’s fundamental principles,” including “the peaceful transfer of power,” a direct shot at Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.
- Harris blasted Republicans who are open to allowing states where abortion is illegal to punish women who seek the procedure, want to ban abortion medication and limit access to birth control and in-vitro fertilization, calling them “out of their minds” and vowing to sign any law passed by Congress that protects reproductive freedoms if she’s elected president.
- Harris frequently referenced her background as a prosecutor prior to her entrance in politics (she served as San Francisco district attorney then California attorney general), particularly with regard to border control, telling the crowd she “fought against the cartels who traffic in guns and drugs and human beings who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities.”
- Harris—who has faced attacks from Republicans over the surge in border crossings under President Joe Biden’s administration—attacked Trump for urging Republicans to kill a bipartisan Senate border control bill because Trump believed it would reflect positively on Biden and vowed to “bring back” the bill and “sign it into law” if she’s elected.
Surprising Fact
Harris brought up the Israel-Hamas war, a key point of tension in the Democratic coalition as some progressives criticize Biden’s handling of the war—including protesters in Chicago. She said “now is the time to get a hostage deal and a cease-fire done,” while pledging to defend Israel’s security “because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on Oct. 7.” She also called the situation in Gaza—which has faced a heavy Israeli bombardment—”devastating,” saying: “The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”
Key Background
Harris accepted the nomination Thursday following a dramatic rise to the top of her party’s ticket following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race just one month ago. Harris—who made history Thursday by becoming the first Black woman to head a major party’s presidential ticket—has overtaken Trump’s lead over Biden in polls over the past month as her candidacy as reunited the party following heated intraparty debate over Biden’s future. Harris thanked Biden on behalf of herself and her husband, Doug Emhoff, calling his record “extraordinary” and his character “inspiring.”
Big Number
1.5. That’s how many points Harris leads Trump by in RealClearPolitics’ polling average.
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