Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris delivered a blistering indictment of Donald Trump's presidency Thursday just hours before he will officially accept the GOP nomination.
The entire Republican National Convention wasn't about helping the American people, Harris said in the roughly 20-minute speech delivered at George Washington University, blocks away from the White House. "The Republican convention is designed for one purpose, to soothe Donald Trump's ego, to make him feel good," she charged.
But Harris said that was just part and parcel of his entire tenure. “Donald Trump doesn’t understand the presidency. He thinks it’s all about him," she said. "Well, it’s not. It’s about you. It’s about all of us—the people.”
Trump's No. 1 obligation was to protect and defend the American people, she said, adding that Trump had "failed miserably" on that count. But incompetence was nothing new to Trump either, Harris noted. "That has always been on full display," she said, "but in January of this year, it became deadly.”
Harris then delivered a point-by-point takedown of Trump's handling of the pandemic, noting that by their very nature, pandemics are "relentless" and "unforgiving."
"If you get it wrong at the beginning, the consequences are catastrophic and it's very hard to catch up. You don't get a second chance," she said. "Well, President Trump, you got it wrong from the beginning. And then you got it wrong again and again."
Trump simply wasn't capable of handling the crisis, she said. He choked. “Instead of rising to meet the most difficult moment of his presidency, Donald Trump froze. He was scared,” she said. “And he was petty, and vindictive.”
Harris also said Trump had "caved" to the Chinese government in the early days of the pandemic as they were blocking Centers for Disease Control and Prevention representatives from entering the country.
Harris also addressed the protests taking place in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
"As Vice President Biden put it, the shots fired at Mr. Blake pierced the soul of our nation. It's sickening to watch. It's all too familiar. And it must end," she said.
She also sympathized with the anger emanating from protesters in the streets. "It's no wonder people are taking to the streets, and I support them," she said.
"We will not let these vigilantes and extremists derail the path to justice," Harris said. "Here's my promise to those mothers and fathers and all who stand with them: In a Biden-Harris administration, you will have a seat at the table in the halls of Congress, and in the White House."
