DNC: Kamala Harris Slams Trump on Abortion and His ‘Autocratic Ambitions’
In what is her biggest political moment, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential candidacy on Friday, August 23, at the United Center in Chicago.
It was the last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which began on Monday and saw key Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and his wife, Hillary Clinton, among others, speak as the Democrats unite to stop Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, from returning to the White House.
With the acceptance, Kamala Harris, whose path to the White House opened after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, has become the first Black woman to contest for the office of President in U.S. history.
“On behalf of the people. On behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender… I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America,” she declared.
Her speech, frequently interrupted by the cheering crowd, was resonant with her childhood background, the teachings of her immigrant mother, her career as a U.S. prosecutor, her aspirations for America, as well as a critique of Donald Trump, her opponent in the upcoming November 5th election.
“My mother was a brilliant 5-foot-tall woman with an accent. And as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her. But my mother never lost her cool.”
A daughter of immigrants, whose father, Donald Harris, is originally from Jamaica, and mother, Shyamala Gopalan, from India, Harris said her mother taught her and her younger sister, Maya, never to complain about injustice.
“My mother was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health, and she taught Maya and me to never complain about injustice but to do something about it,” she told the cheering crowd.
Also Read: Obama at DNC: Harris Represents Hope, Trump Would Prioritise Wealthy Friends
From U.S. Prosecutor to Vice President
A former District Attorney, Harris claimed that the story of her friend, who was sexually abused, was part of the reason she decided to become a prosecutor.
Narrating the incident, she said:
“My friend confided in me that she’d been sexually abused by her stepfather, and I told her she had to come and stay with us. And she did. This is one of the reasons why I became a prosecutor—to protect people like Wanda, because I believe everyone has a right to safety, dignity, and justice.”
Kamala Harris Takes a Deeper Dive Into Divergent Political Ideas Between the Republican and Democratic Parties
As a political party, issues of reproductive rights, border security, and how best to handle wars from Ukraine to Gaza have divided Republicans and Democrats.
In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, allowing states to regulate or ban abortion. This decision has led to widespread restrictions and bans on abortion across the United States.
Despite the ruling occurring during the Biden-Harris administration, the Democratic presidential candidate claimed that Donald Trump hand-picked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom, asserting that America “cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives—especially on matters of heart and home.”
She spoke about hearing stories of doctors being “afraid they will go to jail for caring for their patients.”
“Couples just trying to grow their families, cut off in the middle of IVF treatment. Children who have survived sexual assault potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term.”
She continued, “This is what is happening in our country because of Donald Trump. And understand, he is not done. As part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.”
On the raging war in Gaza, which has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, Harris stated that she’ll always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself.
“I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7.”
She called what has happened in Gaza in the last 10 months devastating, adding that she’ll work to end the war.
The 59-year-old would take on the Republican candidate over what she described as Trump’s susceptibility to autocratic leaders.
She claimed that Donald Trump will not hold autocratic leaders like Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin to account because he wants to be an autocrat himself.
“I will not cozy up to tyrants or dictators like Kim Jong-un who are rooting for Trump. They know he is easy to manipulate. He will not hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be one himself,” Harris told the crowd.
To end her speech, and thus the Convention, Harris reverted to the teachings from her mother.
“Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are; you show them who you are,” Harris said.
“America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.”
The U.S. presidential election will be held on November 5, 2024. Although recent pre-election polls show that Harris now has a lead over Trump, experts believe the race will be tight.
