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Published : 02 May 2025, 12:39 AM
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris called on Wednesday for Americans to stand up together against US President Donald Trump and what she called "the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history".
Harris made the remarks in her biggest speech since leaving office, marking something of a political re-emergence for the Democratic presidential candidate since she lost the election to Trump last year. She is seen as a strong candidate for California governor next year, if she runs, and could be a presidential contender again.
Speaking on Trump's 100th day in office, Harris said the tariffs that have been the hallmarks of Trump's economic policy were "clearly inviting a recession".
She said Trump's politics benefited the rich and described his "narrow, self-serving vision", where they "punish truth tellers, favour loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone else to fend for themselves".
She made the speech to a hometown crowd in the San Francisco Bay Area at an event hosted by Emerge America. The organisation works to elect Democratic women to office and started after Harris' first run for office in San Francisco.
In a tumultuous start to his second term, Trump has signed 142 executive orders, more than any recent president, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The end of the first quarter also marked the first contraction in the US economy in three years. Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for the weak GDP and sought to highlight strong domestic demand.
Trump's approval rating has dropped to 42 percent, while 36 percent of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, according to recent Reuters/Ipsos polling. Reuters/Ipsos polling also showed that Democrats are less confident in their leadership than Republicans are in theirs, 71 percent to 83 percent.
Democrats have not found a unified response to Trump. Some party members want to lay low and expect Trump's policies to ruin his reputation, while others including progressive representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are holding rallies around the nation.
Harris came out for open opposition, urging her allies to speak out loudly, and praising Senators Cory Booker, Sanders, and activists for "moral clarity" and courage. "Courage is contagious," she said.
She warned of a looming constitutional crisis if Congress or the courts "fail to do their part". She encouraged Americans to work together: "In the face of crisis the lesson is: don’t scatter."
A mid-Apr survey by Emerson College Polling, Inside California Politics and The Hill found that if Harris ran, she would lead the race in the Jun 2026 primary for governor of California, with 31% support among registered voters.
In the same poll, voters were split 50/50 when asked whether Harris should run for governor. Other high-profile Democratic politicians have already announced their candidacy, including Xavier Becerra, who served as health and human services director under Biden and former US Representative Katie Porter.
Though her speech was generally motivational, Harris described a long effort to counter Trump.
"Things are probably going to get worse before they get better," she said.
