KEY POINTS
- The ex-president said Trump's trade war was "clearly inviting a recession"
- She lauded universities refuting Trump's demands around academic independence
- She also said Trump's defiance of court orders was a "constitutional crisis"
Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized President Donald Trump's "reckless" actions and policies in his first 100 days in office, marking the first major address and public comeback of the Democratic leader since her election loss to the Republican strongman in November.
At the Emerge America event, Harris took aim at Trump's policies, the administration's piling pressure on educational institutions, and also his defiance of court orders regarding some of his executive orders, including federal layoffs that has affected thousands of employees.
Harris blasts Trump's trade war
In her roughly 15-minute address, Harris made sure to criticize the president's tariffs on countries that have triggered a global trade war.
She said Trump's tariffs were "clearly inviting a recession," a concern that has been looming over the country since he first announced the beginning of the trade war.
Kamala Harris: So look, some people are describing what's been happening in recent months as absolute chaos. And of course I understand why. And it's certainly true of those tariffs. Tariffs that, as I predicted, are clearly inviting a recession. pic.twitter.com/EmMPp7wG7G
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 1, 2025
She went on to call the "reckless" tariffs "the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history," saying Trump's policies have fueled rising household costs and an apparently tightening job market.
Harris hails universities fighting back
A good portion of Harris's speech focused on praising Americans whom she said had been putting a foot down on Trump's "chaotic" policies.
She specifically lauded "universities that are defying unconstitutional demands that threaten the pursuit of truth and academic independence."
Her comments came as some American universities, including Harvard, continued to fight against the Trump government's demands regarding activism.
Trump's defiance of court orders is a "constitutional crisis"
Aside from criticizing Trump's global tariffs, Harris also talked about how Trump has been defying court orders regarding some of his executive orders since claiming the White House.
She argued that the Congress has done its part, and the federal courts have also made their rulings clear regarding blocking Trump's actions; however, if "the president defies them anyway, well, friends, that is called a constitutional crisis."
She warned that such a crisis will eventually have dire consequences for the American public.
Harris ends speech with a bang
By the end of her address, Harris seemed to take a dig at not only the president but also his cabinet and possibly, Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has often been dubbed as "President Musk" by critics.
Oh, Kamala Harris is so back, ending her speech with: “This country is ours. It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House. It belong to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to We the People.” pic.twitter.com/EZwAgTJ43X
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) May 1, 2025
She urged attendees of the Emerge America event to continue to find the courage to fight back against unlawful and illegal policies and to call out what they see is wrong in the government.
"This country is ours. It doesn't belong to whoever is in the White House. It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to 'We, the People,'" she concluded to a roaring, applauding audience.
Meanwhile, Trump has praised his first 100 days in office, also lauding Musk for the tech titan's work at the DOGE.
