CHICAGO—Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the biggest speech of her political career at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, accepting the party’s nomination and introducing herself to the nation as her abbreviated 2024 campaign enters the final stretch.
Harris took the stage 32 days after the sudden exit from the race of President Joe Biden, who had faced unrelenting pressure within his party to abandon the campaign as he lagged behind former President Donald Trump in battleground states. Biden called Harris on the eve of her speech to wish her luck.
The speech Harris delivered before an enthusiastic audience at the United Center highlighted her middle-class roots, framed the contest between herself and Trump as a battle for the future of the country, and argued that the Democratic agenda aligns with the banner of patriotism, which is more commonly seen as a defining characteristic of the Republican Party.
