Regarding Kamala Harris’s first significant address since leaving office, internet users have a lot to say. Her thoughts coincide with Donald Trump’s ABC primetime interview.
Kamala Harris, the former vice president (VP) of the United States, recently gave her first significant address since she left office. From San Francisco, she expressed her opinions about the Trump administration. Online viewers responded to her reflections in a variety of ways, with some applauding her remarks and others questioning whether something was wrong.
Harris framed the current political climate as a significant turning point in American history during her appearance on stage at the Emerge 20th Anniversary Gala with unflinching conviction and tangible anger.
She commended the determination of common people who had resisted what she described as a “man-made economic crisis” caused by “reckless tariffs” and a systemic disobedience to court decisions in the face of growing pressure.
“We all know President Trump and his administration, and their allies are counting on the notion that fear can be contagious,” she declared, her voice rising above the crowd’s applause. “But what they have overlooked is that fear is not the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious.”
“The courage of Americans […] across the political spectrum, who are declaring that the president’s reckless tariffs hurt workers and families by raising the cost of everyday essentials, devastate the retirement accounts […] and paralyze American businesses […] forcing them to lay off people, to stop hiring or pause investment decisions,” she said.
Harris went on to say that this bravery and the heroic actions of the American people, including opposing unconstitutional activities that jeopardize “hard-earned benefits” and “the pursuit of truth and academic independence,” motivate her.
She disputed the claim that chaos is engulfing the country. Harris instead provided a sobering explanation, saying, “Please, let us not be duped into thinking everything is chaos.”
“What we are in fact witnessing is a high velocity event where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making,” Harris stated.
Her incisive criticism highlighted the stark difference between what she called a “calculated strategy” and what was viewed as bewilderment, which she said threatened fundamental beliefs.
Perhaps the most arresting moment came when Harris sounded the alarm on the state of the nation’s democratic safeguards. “We are living in a moment when the checks and balances, upon which we have historically relied, have begun to buckle,” she warned.
“We here know that when the checks and balances ultimately collapse […] that is called a constitutional crisis, and that is a crisis that will eventually impact everyone,” explained the former VP.
Her message was unambiguous: The people bear the responsibility of preserving democracy in the event that established institutions fail. She gave a rallying cry at the end of her speech, urging the populace not to flee.
“Lock it in! Gear up for the hard work ahead, and please, always remember this country is ours. It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House, it belongs to you! It belongs to We, the People!” Harris exclaimed.
The online reaction to the video of Harris’ passionate speech was quick and sharply divided. Her passion, her message, and the occasion itself were all praised by supporters.
One netizen remarked, “You can see the rage and disappointment in her face, as well she should feel that way. She is the one we needed for our country n future [sic].” Another echoed a similar sentiment, “I’m absolutely blown away..! Wow 🎉Thank You EMERGE 🙏🏽💫💙,” while someone else enthused, “Incredible speech tonight! She covered everything!”
Also, emotional responses flooded in. One viewer acknowledged that Harris’s emotional delivery caused them to cry while they watched the video.
But not all feedback was glowing. Doubts about Harris’s demeanor and delivery surfaced across platforms, with some viewers questioning her tone and composure. “As an Australian watching this speech is she ok? Something doesn’t seem right. The rambling was hard to watch [sic],” observed one international viewer.
A different spectator plainly stated, “She looks angry,” while more critical voices went even further, with one commenter calling her “so fake,” and accusing her of lacking authenticity and originality in her words.
Several skeptics challenged the substance behind Harris’s rhetoric, suggesting that her performance felt disjointed or overly emotional. Among these, one unimpressed person dryly noted, “Thats [sic] not how being back works.”
Despite being her first significant political speech since leaving government, Harris’s much-discussed most recent speech was not her first appearance at the stage this year. She received the Chairman’s Award at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards in February 2025.
In that brief statement, Harris adopted a more introspective and intimate tone, thanking the organization for its legacy and reaffirming her lifelong dedication to public service.
Quoting W. E. B. Du Bois, and referencing the shadows gathering over democracy, Harris urged the audience to “organize, mobilize,” and refuse to “surrender to cynicism and destruction.”
Harris, a lifelong member of the NAACP, reminded the audience that the American people, not the wealthy or those in the White House, hold the key to the country’s destiny.
Harris’s most recent comments coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump’s primetime interview, which emphasized his administration’s story of national renewal, even while her February address focused on introspection and resiliency.
In a self-assured performance on ABC, Donald Trump praised what he described as the rebuilding of American might, summarizing the first 100 days of his new administration with a flurry of policy successes and scathing attacks on his critics.
“The border is the most significant because our country was really going bad … You had murderers coming in, you had everybody coming in … Now, it’s totally closed down,” he stated, pointing to what he described as a swift and unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration.
Trump doubled down on his trademark “America First” rhetoric and attacked the media, calling their coverage of former US President Joe Biden’s previous administration dishonest and complicit.
He claimed that after a period of sharp decline characterized by inflation, poor leadership, and unbridled crime, the American people are currently experiencing a spectacular resurgence.
The president presented a picture of a country struggling to recover from a catastrophe, from aggressive deportation tactics and reduced government spending to lowering grocery and energy prices.
He even addressed international affairs, noting a somber meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and lamenting the ongoing loss of life — a conflict, he insisted, that “would’ve never happened” under his leadership. “I’m doing one thing: I’m Making America Great Again,” Trump declared overall.
The repercussions of the rising political temperature are being felt not only in public office but also in private lives. Doug Emhoff, Harris’s husband, provided a somber personal update amid Trump’s interview musings and Harris’s passionate call to action.
Emhoff posted on X on April 29 to announce that he has been booted off the US Holocaust Memorial Council.
In his message, Emhoff cautioned against using historical crimes as wedge issues and expressed his profound worry over what he called the politicization of Holocaust commemoration.
Additionally, he declared that he would not let any political ploy stop him from fighting against hate in all of its manifestations.
