DETROIT, MICH. — Former Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a heated speech Tuesday night, sharply criticizing the current state of political leadership in Washington, D.C.
Harris not only lost the 2024 election to President Donald J. Trump, the Democrat party failed to gain a majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Despite losing the election in a landslide to Trump, Harris claimed the country belonged to her supporters.
“This country is ours. It doesn’t belong to whoever is in the White House,” Harris said, raising her voice as she addressed supporters at a community event. “It belongs to you. It belongs to us. It belongs to we the people.”
Harris never uttered those words during her term as Vice President.
The comments appeared to challenge the authority of President Donald Trump, who defeated the Harris ticket in the 2024 election and returned to office in January. Harris did not mention Trump by name but directed her frustration toward the presidency more broadly.
The event marked a rare public appearance by Harris since leaving office. Her remarks were met with cheers from the audience but sparked debate online, with critics accusing her of undermining democratic outcomes and supporters defending her right to speak out.
“This country is ours,” she repeated multiple times, in what many observers interpreted as a call for civic engagement rather than a direct political maneuver.
Political tensions remain high amid post-election discourse
Harris’s speech comes as political tensions remain elevated in the early months of Trump’s second term. Protests and rallies have continued in several cities, reflecting ongoing divisions across the electorate.