Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday described former President Donald Trump as a “not serious man” but warned of the “grave” risks to the country if he were to serve another term.
During her speech on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Harris sought to remind Americans of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. She urged voters to reject a return to the unrest of the Trump years.
“Donald Trump is in many ways an unserious man,” Harris said. “But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious. Think not only of the chaos and the disaster when he was in office, but the seriousness of what has happened since he lost the last election.”
Harris also pointed to the recent Supreme Court decision that Trump should have immunity from prosecution for “official” acts he performed while in office. The vice president said the ruling would further Trump’s sense that he has the right to take actions to advance his own selfish priorities when he returns to the White House.
“Imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails, and how he would use the immense power of the presidency of the United States,” Harris said. “Not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he’s ever had: himself.”
Harris sought to draw a contrast with Trump, saying she would govern on behalf of all Americans and adding that this election is an opportunity for the country “to move beyond the bitterness, the cynicism and the divisive fighting of the past, an opportunity to chart a new path forward.”
Harris’s speech at the convention was described as the most important speech of her career. However, she was not scheduled to deliver the speech until nearly five weeks ago, when President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the race and subsequently endorsed her.
Biden stepped down from the White House after being pressured by his fellow party members to pass the torch to the next generation. He had raised concerns about his fitness to serve another four years after his poor performance in debates, during which he struggled to finish his sentences.
Harris admitted her path to the nomination was somewhat unconventional, but said she was ready for the moment, citing her mother’s move from India to California when she was 19.
“America, the path that has led me here over the past few weeks, has certainly been unexpected,” she said. “But I am no stranger to improbable journeys.”
While Harris’ campaign has generated enthusiasm and energy, reflected in the polls, Democrats including her running mate Tim Walz are warning voters against complacency.
“It’s the fourth quarter,” Walz said Wednesday. “We’re down a field goal. But we’re on offense. We’re driving down the field. And man, we’ve got the right team to win this.”
