WASHINGTON – In a historic speech at the Democratic National Convention, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris promised to continue military support for Ukraine and strengthen NATO as she accepted the party’s nomination for the 2024 presidential race.
The 59-year-old Harris, the first woman of color to top the presidential ticket of a major U.S. party, sharply criticized her Republican challenger Donald Trump for cozying up to authoritarian leaders.
Speaking to thousands of cheering supporters on the fourth and last day of the convention inside the United Center in Chicago, Harris, just a month after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed her to replace him atop the Democratic ticket, accused Trump of disowning Ukraine and allies and of denigrating the United States.
“As President, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies,” Harris, said on August 22 during the 40-minute speech.
"I will never waver in defense of America's security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand," she added, contrasting her position with Trump and running mate JD Vance, who have repeatedly questioned U.S. backing for Ukraine.
Harris, the first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to accept a major party's presidential nomination, delivered an upbeat view of the United States and its standing in the world, a sharp contrast to the doom-and-gloom picture Trump painted at the Republican convention last month.
“I see a nation that is ready to move forward, ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America,” she said.
Craig Allen, a communications professor and political commentator at Arizona State University, told RFE/RL after the speech that while Harris was “inspiring,” especially when she spoke about family and her personal journey, her comments on Ukraine weren’t anything “that Biden hadn't already said.”
“She did not elaborate on what she was going to do for Ukraine,” he added.
Turning to the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, Harris vowed to work toward ending the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip.
The vice president said that as president she would "always stand up for Israel" and would "never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists."
The address, watched by millions of Americans around the country, is the first time many voters have gotten to see the new Democratic candidate up close.
Harris emerged as the party’s frontrunner on July 21 when Biden took the unprecedented step of bowing out of the race after winning the primaries.
The 81-year-old president faced intense pressure from senior party officials to withdraw after he appeared frail and confused during a June 27 debate against Trump, deepening widespread concern he was too old to serve another four years.
While Harris oversaw key issues such as illegal immigration and abortion rights, like most vice presidents, she had been largely out of the public eye during her more than three years in office.
In a recent poll, more than a third of Americans said they don't know Harris or her positions well.
Wearing a blue suit, Harris talked about growing up in a middle class family of immigrants and going on to become a prosecutor to protect people.
She laid out some of her priorities as president, including increasing the supply of affordable housing and protecting abortion rights.
“They are out of their mind,” Harris said about the Trump's campaign stance on abortion.
The former president took to social media and then called into Fox News to comment further, to criticize the speech for not talking about China, oil fracking, or crime, issues that Trump has pushed consistently.
“It was a lot of complaining," he said.
“Why didn’t she do the things that she’s complaining about?”
Independent polls taken days before the August 19-22 Democratic National Convention showed Harris, who if elected would become the first female president in the history of the United States, slightly edging out Trump in a hypothetical national vote.
Analysts say even 100,000 votes across a few swing states could determine the outcome of the November 5 election.
Harris' campaign has enjoyed a momentum not seen by a Democratic candidate since former President Barack Obama’s first bid in 2008, party members say.
Even though Trump and Biden easily won their respective primaries earlier this year, a significant number of American voters said they wanted new candidates on the ballot. The two men faced off in 2020.
Harris's entry into the race has energized some voters – especially younger women – who had shown little enthusiasm for either Biden or Trump, experts said.