US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago, pledging a “new way forward” for the nation.
“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. “And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans.”
She was later joined on stage at the Democratic National Convention by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and their families, holding their arms aloft while 100,000 red, white and blue balloons tumbled from the ceiling.
Photo: AP
Harris reached out to people across the political divide in the US, promising to bring economic opportunity and protect their personal freedoms.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” she said.
Harris criticized former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.
“We know what a second Trump term would look like,” she said, adding that he wanted to “pull our country back to the past.”
She laid out her personal story as a child of a single working mother, and her career as a prosecutor, saying she has the background and experience to serve the country, in contrast to Trump, who she said only works for himself and “his billionaire friends.”
She accused Trump of trying to “cozy up” to leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Harris pledged instead to “stand strong” with Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion and support NATO allies.
Regarding Israel’s war in Gaza, Harris called the scale of suffering in the Palestinian enclave “heartbreaking.”
She vowed to get a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, and cheers erupted when she vowed “self-determination” for the Palestinian people.
People have protested throughout the Democratic National Convention seeking a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and several thousand rallied again on Thursday.
“I am proud to watch my partner Kamala Harris accept our nomination for president. She will be an outstanding president because she is fighting for our future,” US President Joe Biden, who was on holiday in California, wrote on X.
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