Democratic nominee Kamala Harris promised Thursday to be a president who “unites” Americans, while criticizing White House competitor Donald Trump for seeking to “pull our country back to the past.”
Addressing the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the US vice president said she would be a stronger defender for the middle class than Republican Donald Trump, advocated for gun violence reduction, and helped “reform our broken immigration system” to prevent unauthorized border crossings.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations, a president who leads and listens — who is realistic, practical and has common sense and always fights for the American people,” Harris told cheering supporters.
“The future is always worth fighting for. And that’s the fight we are in right now. A fight for America’s future.”
Harris, 59, told the crowd she would bring together labor, small business owners and American companies to create jobs, and that she would endeavor “to grow our economy and to lower the cost of everyday needs like health care and housing and groceries.”
She also vowed to create an “opportunity economy” for all to compete and succeed, “whether you live in a rural area, small town or big city.”
“Building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” she said.
Harris has faced criticism from Trump’s team for failing to clearly lay out a number of policy ideas in the month after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection attempt and endorsed his deputy.
She criticized Trump’s domestic program, claiming that he does not stand up for the middle class or ordinary Americans. “Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends, and he will give them another round of tax breaks.”
Harris also warned against the far-right “Project 2025,” a radical government blueprint created by a research tank.
“Its sum total is to pull our country back to the past,” she said.