Former Vice President Kamala Harris made her long-awaited return to the public stage Wednesday in San Francisco, giving her first major speech since losing the 2024 presidential election to President Trump in the city where her political career began.
Harris delivered the keynote address at the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America, an organization that helps Democratic women run for office.
In her speech, which follows Mr. Trump’s 100th day in office, Harris took aim at her former opponent, claiming that “instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals.”
Harris stated that the Trump administration and its allies are “counting on the notion that fear is contagious.” They believe that if they can scare some people, it will chill others.
Harris dubbed Mr. Trump’s trade war the “greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history,” and characterized the president’s tariffs as “reckless.”
Harris stated that the Trump administration’s tariffs have “hurt workers and families by raising the cost of everyday essentials” and are paralyzing “American businesses, large and small, forcing them to lay off people, stop hiring, or pause investment decisions.”
She later stated, “The tariffs, as I predicted, are clearly inviting a recession.”
“But, please, do not be duped into believing that everything is in chaos. “It might feel like that,” Harris said. “But understand: What we are, in fact, witnessing is a high velocity event, where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making.”
Harris also commented on President Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying, “It is not okay to detain or disappear American citizens without due process.”
The Trump administration has been embroiled in a controversy over the removal of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who the Justice Department admitted was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security sent a two-year-old US citizen to Honduras with her undocumented mother.
The former vice president praised “the courage of judges to uphold the rule of law in the face of those who would jail them,” referring to a Wisconsin judge’s federal arrest last week on charges of obstructing immigration agents.
Harris concluded her speech by acknowledging that “things are going to get worse before they get better,” but encouraging Americans to “stand together” and “gear up for the hard work ahead.”
“Remember: this country is ours. It does not belong to whoever occupies the White House. It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to the people.”
The former vice president focused her speech on criticizing the Trump administration, refraining from announcing a bid for California governor or any other office.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s term ending in 2026, Harris’ name has been floated as a potential candidate for California’s next chief executive. According to some polls, Harris has strong support for a run.
Harris has mostly maintained a low profile since the election. She attended Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Harris spoke at the Leading Women Defined Summit in April, which may have hinted at some of the topics she will cover in her speech on Wednesday.
“We’re seeing people be quiet. We’re seeing organizations remain quiet. “We’re seeing people give in to clearly unconstitutional threats,” Harris stated.