Former Vice President Kamala Harris held a highly anticipated public stage in San Francisco on Wednesday, the first major speech to lose to President Trump in the city that began her political rise in 2024.
Harris gave a keynote speech at Emerge America’s 20th anniversary party, a group that helped Democratic women run for office.
In her speech, President Trump's 100th day in officeHarris targeted her former rival, said: "We have witnessed these ideal wholesale abandonment rather than promoting the highest ideal government in the United States."
Harris said the Trump administration and its allies “point out the notion that fear can be contagious. They pointed out that if they can make some people afraid, it will have a fearful effect on others.”
Harris called Mr. Trump's trade war "the biggest artificial economic crisis in modern presidential history" and called the president's tariffs "resilly".
Harris said the Trump administration’s tariffs “injure workers and families by raising the cost of daily necessities and paralyze “U.S. businesses of all sizes, forcing them to fire people, stop hiring or stop investing decisions.”
"But let's not think everything is messy. It might be like that," Harris said. "But understand: In fact, what we're witnessing is a very high-speed event in which ships are being used to quickly implement a decades-long agenda."
“As I expected, tariffs are clearly inviting recession,” Harris said during the Trump administration’s trade war.
Harris acknowledged that “things will get worse and then get better” but called on Americans to stand together and “prepare for the hard work ahead.” ”
"Always remember: this country is ours. It does not belong to anyone in the white house. It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to our people."
The former vice president focused her speech on criticizing the Trump administration, stopping announcing his campaign for California governor or any other office.
With Gov. Gavin Newsom being appointed to the Governor’s Office in 2026, Harris’s name has surfaced as a candidate to become California’s next CEO. Some polls show Harris received strong support.
Harris has been keeping a low profile since the election. She attended Trump's inauguration ceremony on January 20.
In early April, Harris attended the leading women’s definition summit event and delivered a speech that could hint at some topics that might be expanded in her speech on Wednesday.
"We're seeing people keep quiet. We're seeing organizations keep quiet. We're seeing people who are leaning towards obvious unconstitutional threats."