Kamala Harris accuses Trump of ‘wholesale abandonment’ of American ideals in major post-election speech

SAN FRANCISCO — In her most extensive public remarks since leaving the White House, former Vice President slammed President Donald Trump in a San Francisco speech Wednesday.

Harris — who has largely stayed out of the public spotlight since she lost to Trump in the November 2024 election — took direct aim at the president’s handling of the economy, cuts to the federal government, and the country’s direction under his leadership, 101 days into the Republican’s second term.

“Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” she said. “We are living in a moment when the checks and balances upon which we have historically relied have buckle.”

Harris said if Congress and the courts “fail to do their part” or if Trump defies them, the country will experience “a constitutional crisis.”

The Oakland native spoke frankly to the crowd at the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America — an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office that grew, in part, from Harris’ run for San Francisco district attorney in the early 2000s.

FULL SPEECH: Harris delivers 1st address since leaving office

“I am not here tonight to offer all the answers, but I am here to say this: you are not alone, and we are all in this together,” she said. “And straight talk — things are probably going to get worse before they get better, but we are ready for it. We are not going to scatter. We are going to stand together. Everyone is a leader.”

Harris is ramping up her public presence as Democrats nationally search for a path forward after November’s election, in which Republicans also won control of Congress. While a slate of high-profile Democrats — from governors to businessmen — seek leadership roles within the party, the former vice president retains unique influence and would reshape any future race she chooses to enter.

Harris, a former state attorney general and U.S. senator from California, has not discouraged speculation that she might enter the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, himself a potential contender for president. And she has not ruled out another run for the White House.

She continues to fundraise, using a joint committee that includes Harris for President, the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties. The committee, the Harris Victory Fund, reported having about $4.5 million on hand at the end of March, according to federal records.

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In recent fundraising emails, Harris has been blunt about the need for Democrats to unify ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Democrats need to “organize and stop Trump’s agenda while electing Democrats everywhere,” she wrote in recent emails. “There has never been a more important time for a strong Democratic Party — one that is willing to stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and what they are doing to this country.”

The event marked a homecoming of sorts. Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, is from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Her high-profile speech comes amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor in 2026. The former vice president did not publicly weigh in on where she is at in her decision-making process.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.