A former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has launched a critique of Donald Trump’s administration, accusing the former president and his allies of executing a decades-old conservative plan to reshape America through fear, division, and unchecked power.
Speaking on Wednesday in San Francisco at an event organized by Emerge; a political group dedicated to training Democratic women for public office, Harris delivered her first major address since her party’s defeat in the November election.
“What we are, in fact, witnessing is a high velocity event, where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making,” Harris told the audience.
She argued that the chaotic and aggressive start to Trump’s presidency is not random but rather a calculated effort to serve a narrow group of elites.
“An agenda to slash public education. An agenda to shrink government and then privatize its services. All while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest,” she said.
Harris accused Trump’s administration of fostering a dangerous political climate.
She said, “A narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth-tellers, favor loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone to fend for themselves.”
Since taking office, Trump’s presidency has been defined by a flurry of executive orders, touching on immigration, foreign aid, and even everyday regulations such as water pressure in showerheads.
While his supporters have welcomed the rapid changes, critics warn the administration is bypassing democratic norms and institutions.
Recent opinion polls reflect growing public unease with Trump’s policies, particularly his shifting stance on tariffs and international trade, which have caused economic uncertainty.
Harris, who has largely kept a low profile since leaving Washington in January, used the platform to warn about the administration’s efforts to intimidate opposition voices.
“President Trump, his administration, and their allies are counting on the notion that fear can be contagious. They are counting on the notion that, if they can make some people afraid, it will have a chilling effect on others,” she said.
But she also struck a hopeful tone, saying resistance is growing across the country.
“Fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious. The courage of all these Americans inspires me,” Harris told the crowd.
Though she has yet to confirm any future political ambitions, Harris is widely believed to be considering a run for governor of California in 2026 or even a White House bid in 2028.
Her forceful speech suggests she may be preparing to return to frontline politics, and positioning herself as a leading voice in the fight against Trump-era conservatism.
