Kamala Harris pitches unity message as she makes her case to American voters

Unlock the US Election Countdown newsletter for free

The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House

Kamala Harris made a bid for national unity in the most important speech of her life in Chicago on Thursday, as she accepted the Democratic party’s nomination for president and made her case for election to tens of millions of viewers across the US.

The vice-president used the primetime address to share her personal story and political vision, drawing a contrast with Donald Trump as she tries to convince Americans to elect her the country’s first woman president.

She entered the arena in Chicago to a rapturous reception, as the audience chanted “U-S-A”.

“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past, a chance to chart a new way forward,” Harris said.

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight. And I want you to know: I promise to be a president for all Americans, to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power,” she said, in a thinly veiled reference to Trump.

Harris, a former litigator, has said she would “prosecute the case” against Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a crime.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man,” Harris said. “But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.”

The speech to the Democratic National Convention caps an extraordinary few weeks for Harris, who replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate after he ended his bid for re-election and endorsed her instead.

The 59-year-old former US senator has closed Biden’s polling gap with Trump, and is now ahead of the Republican nationally and in polls of the swing states that will decide the outcome of the race in November.

Money has also poured into Harris’s campaign in the past four weeks, amid a burst of Democratic enthusiasm for her candidacy in what is expected to be the most expensive White House race ever.

It marks a remarkable rise for the Californian, who was long plagued by questions about her political acumen following her failed bid for the Democratic nomination in 2020.

Despite the enthusiasm in Chicago, party leaders, including former president Barack Obama, have warned Democrats that Harris still faces a “tight race” against Trump, whose Maga movement’s support has only hardened after the failed assassination attempt on him in July.

Harris must also navigate long-simmering tensions among Democrats over the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.

A heavy police presence in Chicago has kept thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters from approaching the arena or disrupting events — but the week’s biggest march is planned to coincide with Harris’s acceptance speech on Thursday.

Some Democrats also remain bitter about how Biden was pressured to quit the race. The president defended his legacy in a speech on Monday but left the conference immediately afterwards.

Harris, who has not given any interviews since she replaced Biden on the ticket, is also under pressure to set out more detailed proposals on everything from the economy to immigration and foreign policy — and show where she differs from him.

Harris’s campaign has focused its pitch around a message of “freedom” — including for reproductive rights — and warnings about the far-right “extremism” of a potential second Trump presidency.

Those themes were on display at the DNC, with primetime speakers including former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, and former president Bill Clinton. Celebrities, such as television star Oprah Winfrey and musician Stevie Wonder also addressed the crowd.

Speculation was rife on Thursday that more celebrities would make surprise appearances on the final night of the convention, with many Democrats cheering rumours that Beyoncé would perform in support of Harris. Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” has become an anthem for the Harris campaign, featuring heavily in advertisements and on the trail.

Harris’s acceptance speech was preceded by speeches from Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Arizona senator Mark Kelly, and Kelly’s wife, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt and traumatic brain injury in 2011.