Harris Accepts Nomination at DNC

Vice President Kamala Harris walked out onto the stage at Chicago’s Democratic National convention Thursday night to deafening cheers that delayed her speech for several minutes before she was able to calm the crowd. The Democrats’ now official presidential nominee delivered a speech heavy in autobiography, emphasizing how her own middle-class background as the daughter of an Indian immigrant and a black man pushed her to go into politics and make a difference in the world.

Harris said that, as a prosecutor, she fought for justice for her community. “My entire career,” she said, “I have had one client: the people.” Now, as president, her promise is that she would continue to fight for the interests of the American people—a situation she contrasted with the Republican candidate Donald Trump, who, she claimed, has only ever served his own interests. 

She warned the audience that a second term for former president Trump—now, she asserted, stripped of “guardrails”—would plunge the nation into chaos and, potentially, tyranny.

She then moved on to a more unifying note, promising to unite the country around its highest ideals and be a president for Americans of all parties, a president committed to defending the American values of the rule of law and the peaceful transfer of power. During her presidency, she asserted, she will work to create an “opportunity economy,” protect the right to an abortion by codifying Roe v. Wade, pass Biden’s stalled border-security bill, create an earned path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, support NATO and Ukraine, and expand voting rights.

In a notable moment for a party that has been riven by conflict over the Israel–Gaza war, she proclaimed her support for Israel’s right to defend itself along with sorrow over the state of the citizens of Gaza. As president, she promised to support Israel’s right and ability to defend itself, while also supporting peace in Gaza and self-determination for Palestinians.