Kamala Harris addresses America as vice president-elect: 'While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be last'
Sen. Kamala Harris addressed the nation for the first time as vice president-elect on Saturday night, opening her speech by quoting the late congressman John Lewis who called democracy not a state, but an act. "It's only as strong as our willingness to fight for it," Harris explained, going on to praise the American people "for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard."
Harris went on to call Biden a "healer, a uniter," and described his deep love for his family as a guiding principle in his life. Harris also thanked her own family, including her late mother. "She believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible," Harris said, alluding to her historic presence on Biden's ticket. "And I'm thinking of her and about the generations of women, Black women, Asian, white, Latina, native American women who throughout our nation's history have paved the way for this moment tonight. Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality and liberty and justice for all, including the Black women who are often, too often, overlooked — but so often prove they are the backbone of our democracy." She added, "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be last."
Harris concluded, "America is ready, and so are Joe and I. We have elected a president who represents the best in us. A leader the world will respect and our children will look up to. A commander in chief who will respect our troops and keep our country safe — and a president for all Americans." Watch below. Jeva Lange
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How the FCC’s ‘equal time’ rule worksIn the Spotlight The law is at the heart of the Colbert-CBS conflict
-
What is the endgame in the DHS shutdown?Today’s Big Question Democrats want to rein in ICE’s immigration crackdown
-
‘Poor time management isn’t just an inconvenience’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
