Kamala Harris has set out her plan to defeat Donald Trump and keep the Democrats in the White House for another four years.
The US vice president has accepted her party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago.
She walked onto the stage to the sound of her campaign track “Freedom” by Beyonce, although speculation about the singer performing on the night was inaccurate.
Ms Harris began by referring to her journey to become the party’s candidate telling delegates: “I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys”.
Her speech was littered with policy announcements: “a middle-class tax cut” for more than 100 million Americans, a bill to restore reproductive freedoms and reforms to the immigration system.
As promised, Donald Trump posted responses live on his Truth Social website – repeating personal attacks by calling her “Comrade Kamala Harris”, accusing her of “fake Indian heritage” and being “weak and ineffective”.
He criticised Ms Harris for her government’s record on crime, the economy and illegal immigration – even suggesting she would take America “into a nuclear World War Three”.
Meanwhile, Ms Harris also attacked the former president by framing his time in the White House as “chaos and calamity” and insisting: “We are not going back!”
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She warned voters about the prospect of a second Trump term, describing him as self-serving, criticising his recent fraud charges, and warning about his immunity from criminal prosecution by posing the question: “Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.”
On foreign policy, she chose to assert differences with her rival, including support for NATO – which Mr Trump threatened to abandon – and accusing him of encouraging Russia to invade Ukraine.
Pic: AP
Ms Harris spoke about what she called the “enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny” – tyrants and dictators like Kim-Jong-Un “are rooting for Mr Trump” because he is “easy to manipulate”.
She also called for a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza – the Israel-Hamas war had brought together thousands to march in protest outside the DNC.
Ms Harris said she backed “Israel’s right to defend itself”, but also recognised the suffering of Palestinians and “their right to… self-determination”.
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Her childhood featured in her speech too, including some of the values she learned from her parents – who eventually divorced – and touching on the challenges she faced growing up.
Ms Harris recounted the story of her school friend, who she said was sexually abused, and how it inspired her to become a prosecutor.
There was also praise for president Joe Biden – and his “extraordinary” history – who was effectively forced to drop out of the presidential race.
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She also mentioned her running mate Tim Walz, setting him out as an “incredible vice president”, at the convention which also featured A-list pop stars.
Pink dueted her protest song “What About Us” with her 12-year-old daughter.
Ms Harris’s speech completes a four-day effort by the Democrats to win over voters, after creating a fresh presidential campaign in just under a month since Mr Biden bowed out of the race.
She told delegates: “With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past.”
In contrast, the Trump campaign argues voters want to turn the page on the Biden-Harris administration and the past four years.
Source Agencies
