SAN FRANCISCO — Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris returned to the political spotlight on Tuesday with a pointed rebuke of President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing it of accelerating a long-standing conservative plan to dismantle public institutions and serve elite interests.
In her first major speech since losing the November election, Harris addressed a crowd in San Francisco at an event hosted by Emerge, a group focused on empowering Democratic women to seek public office.
“What we are, in fact, witnessing is a high velocity event,” Harris said. “A vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making.”
She described the Trump administration as the instrument of a broader conservative movement aimed at weakening public education, slashing government programs, privatizing essential services, and rewarding the wealthy.
Harris also criticized what she called a culture of retribution and loyalty over merit, noting attacks on the media, courts, and academic institutions. “They punish truth-tellers, favour loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone to fend for themselves,” she said.
Since taking office in January, Trump has signed dozens of executive orders impacting immigration, foreign aid, education, and other sectors. While some Americans have welcomed the rapid pace of change, many—including former officials like Harris—have expressed alarm over the administration’s confrontational tone and disregard for democratic norms.
Though Harris has remained mostly quiet since leaving Washington, she is rumored to be considering a run for California governor in 2026 or even a presidential bid in 2028. Her remarks on Tuesday suggest she plans to re-engage with national political debates more forcefully.
In a message aimed at countering the fear she says Trump’s administration is spreading, Harris concluded, “Fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious. The courage of all these Americans inspires me.”