Kamala Harris accepts presidential nomination
On Thursday, Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination on the last night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. On Thursday, Kamla Harris accepted the Democratic nomination on the last night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Vice President Kamala Harris concluded the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday with an acceptance speech in which she reflected on the new family that motivated her and her hopes to unite the country if elected president.
Continue reading for Kamala Harris’ entire remarks at the Democratic National Convention.
NSee Kamala Harris’s entire acceptance speech at the DNC.
Good evening to everyone of you. I’m grateful. Greetings for the evening. Let me begin by expressing my gratitude to my amazing husband, Doug, for being a fantastic father to Cole and Ella and for being an amazing partner to me. Happy anniversary, Dougie. I adore you incredibly. Regarding our President Joe Biden: I am incredibly appreciative of the journey we have taken together, Joe. History will attest to your incredible record, and your inspirational spirit is what makes you and Jill so special. Doug and I will always be grateful to you both. You are going to be an amazing vice president, Coach Tim Walz.
And we are humbled by the delegates’ support and that of everyone who has believed in our effort. Okay, so while the route that brought me here during the past few weeks was certainly unexpected, I’m used to taking unusual detours. Thus, Shamala Harris, our mother, had one of her own. I mourn her every day, but especially at this moment. And I’m sure she’s grinning as she looks down. When my mother was 19, she left her home country of India and traveled alone to California, determined to become the scientist who would discover a cure for breast cancer. She was meant to return home to an arranged marriage, but as luck would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris,a Jamaican student.
As a result of their self-resolved act of love and marriage, my sister Maya and I traveled around a lot as children. I shall never forget that large Mayflower truck filled to the brim with all of our possessions, prepared to travel to Illinois, Wisconsin, or anywhere our parents’ jobs could take us. My mother used to say, “Stay close,” and I have happy early recollections of our parents together—a house full of laughing and music, Aretha Coltrane and miles at the park. But my dad would tell me to run, and he would smile. Run, Kamala. Be not afraid. Nothing should stop you.
He instilled fearlessness in me from an early age, but my parents’ amicable relationship did not endure. They separated when I was in elementary school, and my mother raised us largely until she was able to afford a house of her own. In the East Bay, she rented a tiny flat. You either reside in the flatlands or the hills around the bay. Our home was in the flats, a lovely working-class community of nurses, firemen, and construction workers who took great care in their well-kept lawns.
Like many working parents, my mother put in a lot of hours at her job and relied on her close friends and family for support in raising us. Mrs. Shelton, who became a second mother and1 oversaw the daycare below us. Uncle Freddie, Auntie Chris, Uncle Charmin, and Aunt Mary. They are all family by love, not blood; they taught us how to prepare gumbo and play chess, and sometimes they even let us win. They loved us and believed in us, telling us we could be anything and achieve anything.
They ingrained in us the principles they embodied, the value of community religion, and the maxim that you should treat people with love, respect, and compassion just as you would like to be treated. Being the oldest child, I witnessed how the world sometimes treated my mother, a smart five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent. However, my mother never lost her composure. Michelle mentioned to Maya and I the lesson she taught us the other night. She was strong, brave, and a trailblazer in the struggle for women’s health. She instilled in us the value of taking action than of complaining about injustice. Take action in this regard.
My mother was that. She also encouraged us to never settle for less than perfection. That is an exact quote, too. I was raised with the principles of the civil rights movement all around me. My parents had met at a Civil Rights event, and they made sure we were taught about the luminaries of the movement, such as attorneys Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker, who fought in the courts to realize the American dream. I therefore made the decision to pursue such career at a young age. When it came time to decide what kind of law I would practice, I thought back to a significant event in my life. I wanted to be a lawyer.
You know, in high school, I began to notice a few things about Wanda, my best friend. She informed me she was being sexually abused by her stepfather one day when I asked her how things were going. She told me she was depressed at school and sometimes didn’t want to go home, so I told her she had to come stay with us right away, and she did. I became a prosecutor in part to defend individuals like Wanda because I think everyone has a right to justice, safety, and dignity.
In my capacity as a prosecutor, I filed charges in the names of the people, not the victims. For the straightforward reason that an injury done to any one of us is an injury done to all of us under our legal system. And I would frequently clarify this to consolate criminal survivors, reminding them that nobody should be forced to battle alone. We have this collectively, all of us. Together with them, I proudly stepped in front of the judge each day in the courtroom and proclaimed, “Kamala Harris for the people,” five times. To be clear, I have only had people as a client during my entire career.
I therefore accept your nomination for president of the United States of America on behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or language spoken by your grandmother; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever embarked on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with—people who work hard, pursue their dreams, and look out for one another; and on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest country on Earth.
With this election, you and our country have a unique and short-lived opportunity to put the resentment, cynicism, and polarizing conflicts of the past behind us and forge a new path ahead as Americans, independent of any one party or faction. And let me add, I know that many different political perspectives are watching this evening, but I want you to know that I pledge to serve as president for all Americans. You can always count on me to put nationalism ahead of party and personal interests, and to uphold the core values of America, such as the rule of law, free and fair elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
My life’s work as a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California, has been to unite us around our shared aspirations. As president, I will lead and listen, be pragmatic, practical, and possess common sense, and always fight for the American people, from the courtroom to the White House. I defended women and kids against predators who mistreated them. In my capacity as California’s attorney general, I stood up to the big banks, helped middle-class homeowners facing foreclosure get $20 billion, and aided in the passage of the country’s first homeowner bill of rights.
I defended veterans and students who were defrauded of their salaries by large, profit-driven universities, as well as workers who were tricked out of their wages for elder abuse victims who were seniors. I battled the cartels that endanger our communities’ safety and the security of our border by trafficking in drugs, weapons, and people. And let me assure you, neither these battles nor the elections that brought me to those positions were simple. We faced underestimates almost daily, but we never gave up because we believed that the future was always worth fighting for, and that is exactly what we are doing now—we are fighting for the future of America.
Fellow citizens, this election is crucial to the future of our country as well as to each of our individual lives. Donald Trump is a nonserious individual in many aspects. But there are very grave repercussions if Donald Trump is reinstated in the White House. Take into consideration the seriousness of what has occurred after he lost the last election, in addition to the turmoil and disaster that occurred while he was in government. Trump attempted to squander your votes. After failing, he dispatched an armed crowd to the US Capitol, where they attacked law enforcement officials. However, he was implored by legislators in his own party to call off the mob and send help.
He took the opposite action. He stoked the fires, and now for a whole new set of offenses, a jury comprised of regular Americans convicted him guilty of fraud and moreover accountable for sexual abuse. And think about what he plans to do if we return power to him. Think about his clear intentions to release the violent radicals who attacked the Capitol law enforcement officials, to imprison political rivals, journalists, and anybody else he perceives as the enemy, and to use our active duty armed forces against our own people. Think about the influence he will have, particularly in light of the recent decision by the US Supreme Court to shield him from prosecution.
Without any restraints, just picture Donald Trump utilizing the vast authority that comes with the presidency to further his personal interests rather than enhancing national security or bettering your life. We are also aware of what a second Trump administration would entail. His closest aides outlined everything in Project 2025, which is essentially a plan to take our nation back to the past. But we are not turning back, America. We’re not turning around. We’re not turning around.
The days of Donald Trump attempting to reduce Medicare and Social Security benefits are not coming back. We won’t go back to the days when he attempted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, when individuals with prior medical conditions may be turned down by insurance providers. He cannot abolish the Department of Education, which provides funding for our public schools. We will not allow Trump to discontinue initiatives like Head Start, which give our kids daycare and preschool. We are not turning back, America.
We are also mapping out a new course for the future—one in which there will be a robust and expanding middle class—because we are aware that this class has always been essential to America’s prosperity and that expanding it will be a primary objective of my presidency.
And let me tell you something, this is very personal to me; I’m from the middle class. My mom was very frugal with her money. She expected us to take full use of the opportunities that came our way and to be grateful for them because, as she taught us, not everyone gets the same opportunities. We lived within our means, but we didn’t want for anything. That’s why, whether you live in a big metropolis, a little town, or a rural location, we will establish what I refer to as an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and thrive.
Additionally, in my capacity as president, I will unite labor, employees, small company owners, and entrepreneurs Its founders, and we’ll safeguard Social Security and Medicare while putting an end to the housing crisis in America. Now contrast that with Donald Trump, who, as I believe everyone in this room knows, genuinely does not advocate for the middle class. Rather, he fights for his own interests and those of his rich allies, and he plans to grant them additional tax breaks totaling $5 trillion in debt. Meanwhile, he plans to implement what is essentially a national sales tax—dubbed the Trump tax—that would result in annual price increases for middle-class households of about $4,000.We will, however, enact a middle class tax cut that will assist over 100 million Americans, in lieu of Trump’s proposed tax raise. In my opinion, America won’t be genuinely prosperous until its citizens are completely capable of making decisions regarding their own lives, particularly those pertaining to their homes and hearts.
But far too many women in America today lack the ability to make those choices. And let’s clarify how we arriKamala Harris Latestved at this point. In order to curtail women’s rights, Donald Trump personally selected justices for the US Supreme Court. Now, he boasts, saying, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.” I’ll tell you what, during the course of the last two years, as I’ve traveled the nation, women have shared their tales with me.
Fathers and husbands have related instances of women miscarrying in a parking lot, getting sepsis, and never being able to conceive again, all because couples attempting to start a family are interrupted in the middle of IVF treatments, doctors fear they can go to jail for providing care for their patients, and children who have experienced sexual assault may be pressured to bring a pregnancy to term. This is the result of Donald Trump’s actions in our nation. Recognize that he is not acting in accordance with his plan; he and his allies would restrict access to birth control, Put an end to pharmaceutical abortion and implement a national abortion ban, whether or not Congress is involved. Simply put, he thinks that states should be forced to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions, and that a national anti-abortion coordinator should be established.
And the question of why precisely they don’t trust women needs to be asked. We do, after all, trust women. Women are trusted by us. As president of the United States, I will gladly sign a bill passed by Congress that restores reproductive freedom into law. Many other fundamental freedoms are at stake in this election, including the freedom to live free from gun violence in our communities, schools, and places of worship; the freedom to openly and proudly love the person you love; the freedom to live free from the pollution that contributes to climate change; and the freedom to vote, which is the key to all other freedoms.
We finally have the chance to enact the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the right to vote thanks to this election. To be clear, having worked in law enforcement for decades, I understand the value of safety and security, particularly at our border. Together, Joe and I developed the most robust border bill in decades last year, bringing together conservative Republicans and Democrats.
The Border Patrol supported the agreement, but Donald Trump, feeling that a border compromise would harm his campaign, gave his congressional friends the order to veto the agreement. Will I refuse to exploit our security as a political football? In addition, I promise you this as president:He killed a bipartisan border security bill, which I will bring back and sign into law.
I am certain that we can fix our flawed immigration system and uphold our proud history as an immigrant-led country. We can secure our border and establish an earned pathway to citizenship. Furthermore, America, we must never waver in promoting our security and ideals overseas. In my role as vice president, I have dealt with security concerns, mediated disputes with foreign leaders, fortified our partnerships, and interacted with our valiant soldiers serving abroad. As commander in chief, I will guarantee that the United States of America maintains the most formidable and deadly armed forces in the world, and I will uphold our sacred duty to provide for our service members and their families.
I will always be grateful for their sacrifice and never denigrate their service.
I’ll see to it that we take the lead in space and artificial intelligence going forward, that America prevails over China in the race for the 21st century, and that we maintain rather than erode our position of global leadership. Trump, however, made threats to withdraw from NATO. He urged Putin to launch an invasion. Russia may do whatever the heck they want, according to our pals. President Zelenskyy and I met five days prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and I assisted in organizing a global response from over 50 nations to thwart Putin’s aggression. As president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies, and President Biden and I are working nonstop to end the Gaza War because it is now necessary to complete a cease-fire and a hostage agreement.
To be clear, I will always defend Israel’s right to self-defense and see to it that Israel has the means to do so. The Israeli people must never again have to endure the atrocities committed on October 7 by a terrorist group known as Hamas, including the murder of young people at a music festival and horrific acts of sexual violence. It is tragic what has transpired in Gaza throughout the last ten months. The amount of suffering is horrific—so many innocent lives lost, so many hungry and desperate people running for their lives. My goal with President Biden is to bring this war to a conclusion so that Israel can be safe. The captives have been set free.
When the agony in Gaza ceases and the Palestinian people are able to exercise their right to freedom, security, dignity, and self-determination, I promise that I will never think twice about taking any necessary action to protect our forces and interests from terrorists who are supported by Iran. I refuse to befriend despots and despots like Kim Jong Un who support Trump because, well, they know.
They are aware of how easily he may be won over with charm and favors. They are aware that Trump aspires to be an autocrat and won’t hold them responsible. Additionally, I will never back down from my position as president in support of American security and ideals because in the ongoing conflict between freedom and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs.
I have the utmost love for my nation, my fellow Americans. Everywhere I look, every place I enter, every person I come into contact with, I see a country ready to go, ready for the next chapter in the amazing story that is America. I see an America where we cling to the fearless conviction that founded our country and inspired the rest of the world—that anything is possible here, that nothing is unachievable—where we take care of one another, watch out for one another, and understand that we have far more in common than we do differences, that none of us must fail for the rest of us to succeed, and that strength lies in unity.
You know, every day our rivals in this race go about disparaging America and harping on how bad everything is. My mother used to teach another lesson, though. Never allow someone to define who you are. You make yourself known to them. America, let us demonstrate to one another and the rest of the world our identity and our values—freedom, opportunity, compassion, decency, justice, and limitless possibilities.
As the descendants of the greatest democracy in human history, we must merit this occasion on behalf of our offspring, grandchildren, and all those who gave their lives in defense of our independence and liberty. Now is our chance to carry out the work of previous generations, motivated by hope and faith, to defend the values we hold dear, to fight for this nation we love, and to fulfill the enormous responsibility that comes with having the greatest privilege on Earth—that is, the privilege and pride of being an American. So let’s venture outside. Together, let’s battle for it. Come with me outside. Let’s give it our vote. Let’s collaborate to write the next fantastic chapter of the most amazing tale ever. I’m grateful. May God continue to bless the United States of America as well as you.