Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president of the United States. During the fourth and final evening of the 2024 DNC, the 59-year-old vice president’s speech outlined her plans for America if elected in November, and she emphasized one motto as a former lawyer: “Kamala Harris, for the people.”
“I’ve only had one client — the people,” Kamala said. “And so, on behalf of the people; on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth; I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America.”
The former prosecutor reflected on her career — which she called her “life’s work” in defending the American public — “from the courthouse to the White House.” She pointed out that “at a young age,” she wanted to be a lawyer and one of “those who battled in the courtroom to make real the promise of America.”
“You can always trust me to put country above party and self,” Kamala insisted. “To hold sacred America’s fundamental principles. From the rule of law, to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power. I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical and has common sense. And always fights for the American people.”
Kamala’s meteoric rise as the Democratic candidate has been a fast one, which she acknowledged during her speech. In July, President Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race after countless public figures called for him to do so. Kamala immediately embarked on her campaign and traveled to several battleground states.
“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks, was no doubt … unexpected,” she said at the DNC. “But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.”
Kamala additionally took a few swipes at the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, by highlighting the setbacks that the country endured during his presidency.
“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails,” she pressed the audience. “How he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States. Not to improve your life. Not to strengthen our national security. But to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.”
While closing out her address, Kamala pointed out that Americans are “the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world.”
“And on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment,” she concluded. “It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done. Guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love. … And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”