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Kamala Harris has accepted her historic nomination as the US Democratic party’s vice-presidential candidate, running with Joe Biden for the White House.
In a speech to her party convention, the first US woman of colour on a major-party ticket assailed President Donald Trump’s “failure of leadership”.
The California senator said he “turns our tragedies into political weapons”.
Mr Biden and Ms Harris will challenge Mr Trump and his Vice-President Mike Pence in the election on 3 November.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Democrats to abandon the cheering throngs and political razzmatazz that are the hallmarks of the quadrennial party convention in favour of a virtual event of pre-recorded and live speeches.
The grand finale of the four-night conference will see Mr Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, deliver a speech on Thursday.
What did Kamala Harris say?
“We’re at an inflection point,” she said, speaking live from a largely empty hotel ballroom in Mr Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.
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Assailing Mr Trump, she continued: “The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot.
“And here’s the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.
“We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work.”
Ms Harris – the child of immigrants from India and Jamaica – highlighted the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of colour, moving on to the racial justice protests that have convulsed the nation in recent months.
“There is no vaccine for racism. We’ve gotta do the work,” she said listing the names of unarmed black Americans who have been killed by police.
President Trump swiftly hit back, tweeting about Ms Harris’ previous attack on Mr Biden over his record on race issues, while they were both rivals for the Democratic White House nomination.
The moment came during a live TV debate last year, though Ms Harris prefaced her remarks by telling Mr Biden: “I do not believe you are a racist.”
A post-apocalyptic speech
The now-official Democratic vice-presidential nominee faced a bit of a challenge, having to directly follow Barack Obama, the party’s most beloved and rhetorically gifted politician.
What Ms Harris offered was a bit of an amalgam – one that sometimes connected and occasionally plodded. It was part biographical introduction, part sales pitch for Mr Biden and – most notably – part frontal attack on structural racism.
Although she’s been attacked by some on the left for her prosecutorial background, Ms Harris tried to turn that into a benefit for a general election audience, speaking of how she always tries to fight for justice.
Her speech delivered with smiles and warmth, but it took place in a rather haunting environment – a room constructed to replicate a party convention hall, but devoid of the cheering crowds.
It all had a slightly post-apocalyptic feeling, which makes it seem that the emptiness of the current pandemic-stricken nation is a feeling Democrats want to highlight – and lay at Mr Trump’s feet.
