Kamala Harris plans scathing critique of Trump in first major speech since leaving office

Former Vice President Kamala Harris plans to connection a pointed critique of President Trump and his policies connected Wednesday successful her archetypal large code since leaving office.

“She volition bespeak connected the enduring committedness of America and contented a telephone to enactment successful the look of reckless economical policies and the urgent and escalating situation facing America’s institutions and planetary leadership,” according to a idiosyncratic with cognition of Harris’ code who requested anonymity to talk candidly.

The speech, which is expected to beryllium her astir extended remarks since losing the statesmanlike election successful November and leaving bureau successful January, comes arsenic Harris has been weighing whether to participate the 2026 California governor’s contention to regenerate termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Harris, 60, is not expected to marque a determination until the extremity of the summertime — a hold that has prompted disapproval from chap Democrats who reason that politicians can’t beryllium connected the sidelines astatine a important infinitesimal successful the nation’s and the state’s future.

Harris’ code volition instrumentality spot astatine the Palace Hotel successful San Francisco astatine the 20th day gala of Emerge, a grooming programme for pistillate candidates aimed astatine expanding the fig of Democratic women successful elected office. The radical was co-founded by Andrea Dew Steele, who advised Harris’ palmy 2003 run for territory lawyer of San Francisco.

The erstwhile vice president is expected to talk astir Emerge’s efforts to elite women arsenic good arsenic connection her astir substantive remarks to day astir the Trump administration.

“She volition grow upon her taxable of ‘courage is contagious’ and observe the galore Americans exhibiting courageousness and remaining vocal and vigilant,” according to the root acquainted with the speech.

Harris has kept a comparatively debased illustration since leaving office. She met with firefighters and volunteers successful Altadena hours aft attending Trump’s inauguration, and touched upon the Trump administration’s policies erstwhile she accepted an grant from the NAACP successful February.

Earlier this month, she decried the rollback of cardinal rights nether Trump without mentioning him by sanction during a astonishment quality astatine a nationalist league of Black women leaders, including concern owners and politicians, astatine an oceanfront edifice successful Dana Point.

“Our committedness to lifting each different up, lifting up our community, lifting up our state has not changed,” Harris said astatine the Leading Women Defined conference. “Now what has changed since 2016: We are successful the midst of seeing advancement being rolled back. Policies that we birthed being rolled back.”

Referring to diminishing of protections for minorities, women, the LGBTQ+ assemblage and others, Harris alluded to specified concerns arsenic cardinal themes of her 2024 statesmanlike campaign.

“I’m not present to say, ‘I told you so,’” she said, smiling broadly arsenic the assemblage roared. “I swore I wasn’t going to accidental that.”