Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris issued a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, calling his economic agenda “the greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history.” Speaking in the San Francisco Bay Area at an event hosted by Emerge America, Harris urged Americans to unite in opposition to Trump’s policies, which she said favor the wealthy and ignore working families.
This marked Harris’s most prominent political appearance since her 2024 election loss to Trump. With growing speculation over a 2026 California gubernatorial bid, Harris is polling at 31% among registered voters, leading the Democratic field according to an Emerson College/Inside California Politics/The Hill survey.
Harris criticized Trump’s tariffs and executive orders—142 issued so far—as key contributors to an economic downturn, including the first U.S. GDP contraction in three years. Trump, meanwhile, blamed former President Joe Biden for the slowdown and highlighted consumer demand.
While Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 42%, with only 36% approving his economic performance, Democrats remain divided on how to respond. Harris advocated for bold opposition, commending figures like Senators Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker for their outspokenness. “Courage is contagious,” she said, warning of a potential constitutional crisis if Congress and the courts fail to act.
She also took aim at Trump’s leadership style, accusing him of promoting loyalists, punishing dissent, and leveraging power for personal gain. Harris concluded by encouraging unity: “In the face of crisis, the lesson is: don’t scatter.”
Though some Democrats urge patience in hopes that Trump’s policies will collapse under their own weight, Harris called for immediate, vocal resistance, signaling a renewed presence in the national political arena.