Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday with a sweeping, concise speech in which she vowed to continue the case against Donald Trump and lead the country toward a better, more just future.
In a speech that balanced optimism with withering criticism of her opponent, Harris acknowledged her “unlikely” path to the nomination and reached out to voters of all political ideologies who believe in America’s promise. Harris would make history if elected — as the first woman, first Black woman and first Asian American woman to serve as president — but she instead focused on the history that could change the country in November.
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“Our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity in this election to move beyond the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new path forward — not as members of any single party or faction, but as Americans,” Harris told thousands of Democrats in Chicago.
Then she said to loud applause: “On behalf of all of you whose stories can only be written in the greatest country on Earth, I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America.”
The speech came just a month after Harris launched her campaign following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. With the president’s backing, Harris quickly consolidated Democratic support and secured the nomination. Harris has enjoyed a wave of enthusiasm since entering the race, with most polls now showing her slightly ahead of Trump in key states that will determine the outcome of the election.
During the speech, Harris implicitly and explicitly contrasted herself with her opponent, warning that Trump’s return to the White House would revive the “chaos and calamity” of his first presidential term. She condemned Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, blamed him for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and reminded voters of his many legal battles since leaving office.
“Imagine the power he will have, especially after the Supreme Court just ruled that he is immune from criminal prosecution,” Harris said. “Imagine Donald Trump without limits, and how he would use the immense power of the presidency of the United States — not to improve your life, not to enhance our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.”
Harris then led the crowd, which was packed to capacity at the United Center in Chicago, in a chant: “We’re not going back!” The chant has become a recurring feature of Harris’ campaign rallies over the past month.
The speech represented Harris’s most significant opportunity yet to define herself in the eyes of voters. Though Harris served as Biden’s vice president for four years and a California senator before that, polls suggest that voters’ views of the new nominee are not set in stone. Trump has tried to define Harris as a “radical” Democrat, mocking her as “comrade Kamala,” but he has struggled to land successful lines of attack on his new opponent.
Harris presented herself as a “realistic” and “practical” leader who would draw on her background as a prosecutor to govern on the basis of common sense and equality. She attributed her sense of justice to her mother, Shyamala Harris, a scientist who immigrated to the U.S. from India at age 19.
“She was tough, courageous, a pioneer in the fight for women’s health, and she taught Maya and me a lesson that Michelle [Obama] Harris said the other night. “She taught us never to complain about injustice, but to do something about it.”
In an election often characterized as personality versus policy, Harris attempted to weave the two together. After discussing her record as a prosecutor who stood up for “women and children against the predators who abused them,” she turned her attention to the women whose lives have been endangered by a lack of access to abortion.
She told stories of pregnant women developing sepsis and miscarriages in parking lots, placing the blame for their pain squarely on Trump when he nominated three of the justices who ruled that Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump,” Harris said. “And understand that he’s not done with his agenda. He and his allies would restrict access to contraception, ban medication abortions, and implement a nationwide ban on abortion, with or without Congress. … Simply put, they’re crazy.”
Harris was sometimes flippant about the details when it came to policy, as when she promised to build “an opportunity economy” and “end the American housing shortage.” She was perhaps most forceful when it came to discussing foreign policy, when she promised to “stand strong on Ukraine” and accused Trump of siding with autocrats.
“I will not stand with tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who support Trump because they know he is easily manipulated with flattery and favors,” Harris said. “As president, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals — because I know where I stand and where the United States of America belongs in the ongoing struggle between democracy and tyranny.”
In one of the most anticipated parts of her speech, Harris outlined her position on the war in Gaza. Harris condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 and mourned the “many innocent lives lost” in Gaza since the war began, but she vowed to “always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself,” in a seeming rejection of recent calls for an arms embargo.
“President Biden and I are working day and night, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire,” Harris said. “President Biden and I are working to end this war so that Israel is safe, the hostages are freed, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
The call for Palestinian self-determination was met with loud applause at the convention center, but it is unclear whether the rhetoric will appease supporters of the ceasefire. Thousands took to the streets of Chicago this week to protest the war.
Harris will likely need the support of those voters in November, as the presidential race remains a toss-up despite her recent gains. The coming days will reveal whether and how Harris’ speech can extend her lead.
