Harris, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Walz and his wife Gwen wave to the crowd at the end of the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Centre in Chicago. – AFP
Vice-President Kamala Harris sealed the Democratic presidential nomination with a muscular speech, laying down broad foreign policy principles and sharp contrasts with Republican rival Donald Trump with 11 weeks left in the race for the White House. A sea of waving Stars and Stripes flags and chants of “USA” filled the arena as jubilant Democrats anointed Harris. She was later joined on stage by her running mate Tim Walz and their families, as they held their arms aloft while 100,000 red, white and blue balloons tumbled from the ceiling. Country act The Chicks sang a version of The Star-Spangled Banner while pop star Pink also performed as the Democrats rolled out a list of celebrity backers. On the final night of the four-day Democratic National Convention, Harris, 59, promised to be a “realistic”, “practical” president for all Americans, as she battles Trump in a razor-close campaign. “In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs,” she said on Thursday, accusing Trump of bowing down to dictators. She promised to back the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), Ukraine and “stand up to Putin’s aggression”, a reference to Russia’s president. Harris emerged as the Democratic candidate a month ago when allies of President Joe Biden forced him to quit the race. “I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” she vowed. Harris then launched a broadside at 78-year-old Trump, whose campaign has been upended by having to face a woman two decades younger, rather than the increasingly frail Biden, 81. “We know what a second Trump term would look like,” she said, saying he wanted to “pull our country back to the past”. It was a forceful speech for a candidate who, during her brief campaign, had yet to articulate much of her vision for the country. Harris has faced a stream of personal attacks from Trump, who called her weak on the foreign stage. After days of protests from Palestinian supporters who were disappointed at not getting a speaking spot at the convention, Harris delivered a pledge to secure Israel, bring the hostages home from Gaza and end the war in the Palestinian enclave. “Now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” she said to cheers. “And let me be clear, I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself.” She said that she wanted to end the war in a way that provides for Israel security and allows the Palestinian people to realise their right to self-determination. Harris said she would take whatever action was necessary to defend US interests against Iran and said tyrants and dictators including North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, “are rooting for Trump”. If successful, Harris stands to make history as the first woman elected US president on November 5. Harris drew a series of contrasts with Trump, accusing him of not fighting for the middle class, planning to enact a tax hike through his tariff proposals, and having set in motion the end of a constitutional right to abortion with his picks for the US Supreme Court. She noted the Supreme Court’s recent ruling about presidential immunity and the risks that would pose if Trump gained power again. “Just imagine Donald Trump with no guard rails,” the vice-president said. Trump, who had promised to respond to Harris’s speech in real time, posted a series of messages on Truth Social as she spoke about him, including: “She stands for Incompetence and Weakness – Our Country is being laughed at all over the World!” and “She will never be respected by the Tyrants of the World!” Harris also said she will pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit more than 100mn Americans, contrasting that with Trump’s vow to cut the corporate tax rate. She discussed her plans to fight for abortion rights, voting rights legislation, boost the housing supply and ban what she has called “price gouging” by grocers. Her campaign has also proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. Chicago’s United Centre brimmed with energy – and people. The arena’s 23,500 seats were filled and arena staff briefly blocked more people from entering the facility, saying that the city’s fire marshal declared the building at capacity. “With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past – a chance to chart a new way forward,” Harris said to huge cheers. “And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.” “We did it,” she told supporters at a post-convention reception. “Forward, forward, forward.”
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