Kamala Harris gave a moving and powerful response when asked about Trump and Vance's racist lies about Springfield, Ohio.
Video from Vice President Harris:
Kamala Harris calls what Trump and Vance did to Springfield, Ohio with their lies “a crying disgrace.” Here is her full and powerful response in a speech to the National Association of Black Journalists. pic.twitter.com/1SOlJK1iau
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) September 17, 2024
When Harris was asked about Springfield to the Association of Black Journalists, she said:
It's a disgrace. My heart breaks for this community.
You know, there were children, elementary school children. It was school photo day. Do you remember what it was like? Going to school on photo day. The children are in their best clothes, got ready, knew the night before what they were going to wear. And they had to be evacuated. Children, children. A whole community is terrified.
And I'll say a couple of things about that. First, I learned a long time ago in my career as a prosecutor. When you're in those positions, when you have that kind of microphone in front of you, you really have to understand on a very deep level how much meaning your words have. I learned very early in my career that the meaning of my words can affect whether someone is free or in prison.
As Attorney General of California, the fifth largest economy in the world, I was well aware that my words could move markets.
When you're given a microphone that big, there's a huge responsibility that comes with it. That's an extension of what shouldn't be lost in that moment. That concept of public trust, to then understand what public trust means. It means that you've been given the trust to be responsible with your words, not to mention how you conduct yourself.
And this is especially true if you have been President of the United States of America and want to be President again.
And so I come back to this: It's a disgrace what's happening to these families, to these children in this community, not to mention what's happening in this regard. Look, you say you care about law enforcement. Law enforcement resources are being thrown into this because a community that lived productive, good lives before these events is being seriously threatened and spreading lies based on age-old stereotypes.
And look, I said it the other day at the debate very close by. This is not new. This is not new in terms of these tropes. This is not new in terms of the source. Whether it's refusing to rent to people, to black families, or whether it's taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times against five innocent black and Latino teenagers, the Central Park Five, calling for their execution.
Whether it's a lie about the first black president of the United States, a lie that begets their lies. And look, the American people deserve better and I believe they want it. I believe that. I know, I know, the vast majority of us Americans know that we have so much more in common than what divides us.
I know that. I know that people, regardless of their background, their race, their gender, their geographic location, are deeply disturbed by what is happening to this community in Springfield, Ohio. And it has to stop. And we have to say that you cannot be trusted with the person who stands behind the seal of the President of the United States of America spouting this hateful rhetoric that, as usual, is designed to divide us as a country and get people to point fingers at each other. That is exactly their goal. And I think most people in our country, regardless of race, are starting to see through this nonsense. And to say, you know what, let's turn over a new leaf.
This is exhausting and harmful and hateful and based on ancient things that we should not tolerate. So let's turn the page and create a new path forward and say: you can't have this microphone anymore.
Trump and Vance continue to lie about Springfield
because they don't care what their lies do to the community.
Kamala Harris gave a very powerful and human response to what is happening in Springfield. Her point about how Trump and that Vance's lies are an abuse of the public trust is not discussed often enough.
Trump and Vance are trying to dehumanize immigrants. Kamala Harris told the nation why it should reject their efforts.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor's degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association
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