Former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the spotlight on Wednesday night with her first major speech since the November election, declaring, “Always remember, this country is ours. It belongs to we the people.”
Speaking at the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America in San Francisco on Wednesday, Kamala Harris delivered her first major speech since leaving the White House, urging supporters to speak out against what she described as the Trump administration’s attempts to undo decades of progress.
Since her defeat to Trump and departure from office in January, the former vice president has mostly stayed out of the spotlight.
But just a day after Trump marked 100 days of his second term with a rally in Michigan, Harris used the moment to criticize his handling of the economy, immigration, and other major issues.
Harris is rumored to be considering a run for California governor in 2026 or possibly another presidential bid in 2028.
Harris has kept a low profile since leaving the White House in January after her defeat to Trump. Harris, who is reportedly considering a run for California governor in 2026 or a potential presidential bid in 2028, has mostly stayed out of the public eye since departing Washington.
The former US senator criticised Trump’s agenda as “a narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth-tellers, favor loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone to fend for themselves.”
She suggested Trump was targeting educational institutions and the judiciary to suppress opposition. “President Trump, his administration, and their allies are counting on the notion that fear can be contagious,” she said.
“They are counting on the notion that, if they can make some people afraid, it will have a chilling effect on others,” she added.
However, she noted that judiciary members, scholars, political figures and ordinary citizens were resisting governmental actions.
Harris commended American citizens “who are speaking out to say, ‘It’s not OK to violate court orders” and it’s “not okay to detain and disappear American citizens or anyone without due process.”
The former California attorney general applauded judges who “uphold the rule of law in the face of those who would jail them” and educational institutions “that defy unconstitutional demands.”
“Fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious,” she declared. “The courage of all these Americans inspires me,” she added.
In her address, Harris, 60, explained to supporters that the apparent “chaos” of the recent quarter was actually the execution of a long-held strategy by conservatives who are utilising Trump to reshape the United States according to their vision.
“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,” she told an audience in San Francisco.
“An agenda to slash public education. An agenda to shrink the government and then privatize its services. All while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest.”
Harris, previously California’s state attorney general and US senator, has remained non-committal about potentially replacing the term-limited Newsom, who might seek the presidency.
She has kept options open regarding another presidential bid but avoided discussing her future plans on Wednesday.
She commended Democrats who have been vocal in their criticism of Trump, specifically mentioning legislators representing various ideological positions: Sens. Cory Booker, Chris Van Hollen, Chris Murphy and Bernie Sanders, alongside Reps. Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The event was a homecoming for Harris, who now lives in Los Angeles but began her political career in the San Francisco Bay Area. She made her return to the political stage at the 20th anniversary gala of Emerge America, a group that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office.
The organisation was inspired by Harris’s 2002 campaign for San Francisco district attorney, where she defeated the incumbent and her former boss.
The address took place in the historic Palace Hotel’s ornate ballroom, featuring gleaming chandeliers and gold trim.
“I’m not here tonight to offer all the answers,” Harris said. “But I am here to say this: You are not alone and we are all in this together.”
She cautioned that conditions might deteriorate before improving, but assured, “we are ready for it.”
“The one check, the one balance, the one power that must not fail is the voice of the people,” she continued.
Concluding her speech, Harris declared, “Always remember this country is ours. It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House. It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to WE THE PEOPLE.”
