In a fierce campaign speech, Vice President Kamala Harris denounced former President Donald Trump for years of fanning “the fires of hate and bigotry, racism and xenophobia.”
Similar to how President Joe Biden has acted on the campaign trail, the vice president has been increasingly assertive in his criticism of Trump. Although their topics are similar, they are also different, with Biden emphasizing Trump as a “loser” and “threat to democracy,” while Harris focuses more on problems related to civil rights.
That was the case this weekend when Harris delivered a fiery campaign speech at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, during which she aimed at Trump for “inspiring” extremists with his “hate and bigotry and racism and xenophobia”:
President Biden and I are guided by a fundamental belief: We work for you, the American people. And every day, we fight for you.
Sadly, however, that is not true for everyone. Case in point: Donald Trump.
Former President Trump has made clear time and time again his fight is not for the people. He fights for himself.
He openly talks about his intention to weaponize the Department of Justice. He openly says that he is, quote, “proud,” that he overturned Roe v. Wade — proud that he took the freedom of choice from millions of American women.
For years, the former President has stoked the fires of hate and bigotry and racism and xenophobia for his own power and political gain. He accused immigrants of, quote, “poisoning the blood of our country.” And after neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville, he said there were, quote, “very fine people on both sides.”
The former President openly talks about his admiration for dictators and has vowed that he will be a dictator on “day one.”
Understand what dictators do. Dictators put journalists in jail. Dictators suspend elections. Dictators take your rights.
And as the great Maya Angelou once said, “When someone tells you who they are, believe them the first time.” Well, the former President has told us who he is. And it is on us, then, to recognize the profound threat he poses to our democracy and to our freedoms.
And let us recognize: There are extremists across our country who have been inspired, encouraged, and even cowered by the former President.
