FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris speaks before signing the desk drawer in her ceremonial office, a long-standing tradition for Vice Presidents, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Kamala Harris plans a speech sharply criticizing Donald Trump’s policies
LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Former Vice President Kamala Harris plans to use a high-profile speech Wednesday to sharply criticize President Donald Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor.
FILE - Vice President Kamala Harris speaks before signing the desk drawer in her ceremonial office, a long-standing tradition for Vice Presidents, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Former Vice President Kamala Harris plans to use a high-profile speech Wednesday to sharply criticize President Donald Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor.
Harris will address the 20th anniversary gala for Emerge America, an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office that grew in part from Harris鈥 run for San Francisco district attorney in the early 2000s.
Her speech comes the day after Trump reached in office. It is expected to be her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January to Trump, with planned critiques of the Republican president’s handling of the economy, U.S. institutions and foreign policy.
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Harris is ramping up her public presence as Democrats nationally search for a path forward after November’s election, in which Republicans also won control of Congress. While a slate of high-profile Democrats 鈥 from governors to businessmen 鈥 seek leadership roles within the party, the former vice president retains unique influence and would reshape any future race she chooses to enter.
Harris, a former state attorney general and , has not discouraged speculation that she might enter the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, himself a potential contender for president. And she has not ruled out another run for the White House.
She continues to fundraise, using a joint committee that includes Harris for President, the Democratic National Committee and state Democratic parties. The committee, the Harris Victory Fund, reported having at the end of March, according to federal records.
In recent fundraising emails, Harris has been blunt about the need for Democrats to unify ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Democrats need to 鈥渙rganize and stop Trump鈥檚 agenda while electing Democrats everywhere,鈥 she wrote in recent emails. 鈥淭here has never been a more important time for a strong Democratic Party 鈥 one that is willing to stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and what they are doing to this country.鈥
The event will mark a homecoming of sorts. Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, is from the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Emerge America’s gala begins at 7 p.m. PDT. Harris’ speech will be livestreamed on .
