Harris accuses Trump of ignoring ‘reality of America right now’ in speech before his RNC address

Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris accused President Donald Trump of ignoring ‘the reality of America right now’ pointing to this week’s Republican National Convention programming.  

‘The Republican convention is designed for one purpose – to soothe Donald Trump’s ego. To make him feel good,’ Harris said in blistering remarks Thursday, given hours before Trump will deliver his renomination address.  

Speaking at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Harris opened her prebuttle by both defending Black Lives Matter protesters, but like her running mate, former Vice President Joe Biden, slamming rioters and looters and those engaging in violence in recent days. 

The VP pick said she had spoken with the family of Jacob Blake, the Wisconsin black man who was wounded by police, sparking protesting and also fires and unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

She pointed out that Blake was shot ‘seven times in the back, in broad daylight, in front of his three young sons,’ repeating the line for emphasis. ‘Thankfully he’s alive today, but he’s fighting for his life and he shouldn’t have to be.’ 

‘And after the murders of Breonna and George and Ahmaud and so many others, it’s no wonder people are taking to the streets – and I support them,’ Harris said.  

‘We must always defend peaceful protests and peaceful protesters,’ she added. 

But she then pushed back on the Republican-pushed narrative that Democrats want to see the chaos too.  

‘We should not confuse them with those looting and committing acts of violence, including the shooter who was arrested for murder,’ Harris said.

The California senator was referring to the 17-year-old suspect arrested for shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha. The suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, is a supporter of Trump.  

 ‘And make no mistake, we will not let these vigilantes and extremists derail the path to justice,’ Harris proclaimed. 

She then promised all the hurt mothers and fathers of black Americans who have been injured or killed by the police that they would have a seat at the table in the Biden-Harris administration. 

Harris, the first woman of color to ever appear on a presidential ticket, also said this: ‘The life of a black person in America has never been treated as fully human.’ 

From there, she moved on to hammer Trump on his coronavirus pandemic response.  

‘Instead of rising to meet the most difficult moment of his presidency, Donald Trump froze,’ she said. ‘He was scared and he was petty and vindictive.’

Harris said that while Biden’s first plan to combat the virus came out in March, ‘Trump still doesn’t have a plan – he still doesn’t have a plan.’ 

Always the prosecutor, Harris said that Trump’s response was a ‘plain and simple’ case of showing a ‘reckless disregard for the well-being of the American people.’   

On the policy front, Harris claimed Trump’s cuts to Social Security would rob seniors of their checks within three years. 

‘The checks that American seniors are relying on – that you rely on to pay your bills, to buy your medicine, to live – will stop coming,’ she said.  

And Harris pointed to the Trump-backed lawsuit heading to the Supreme Court in November that could completely kill Obamacare, including pre-existing condition pretections.     

‘So that means if you are fortunate enough to survive COVID-19 insurers could deny you coverage for treating long-term effects,’ she said. 

Harris argued that Democrats approached their convention – held virtually last week by with Biden and Harris speaking from Wilmington, Delaware – ‘clear-eyed about the challenges we are facing and how we will tackle them.’ 

She pointed to the six-digit death toll from COVID-19, especially in minority communities, and mentioned the jobless, the hungry, the at-wits-end first responder, the destressed small business owner.  

‘That is the reality of America right now, she said. ‘A reality completely absent from this week’s Republican National Convention.’   

The Democrats were traditional in their handling of the opposing party’s convention, with Joe Biden only popping his head up sporadically instead of participating in counter-programming all week like Trump did. 

On Wednesday, Biden shared a video where he condemned the ‘needless violence’ in Kenosha, Wisconsin, arguing ‘burning down communities is not protest,’ while still showing support for Blake and his family.  

And on Thursday, Biden appeared on MSNBC where he said he planned to debate Trump. 

Following the conventions, the debates tend to be the biggest moments in the presidential campaign cycle in the run-up to the conventions.