Kamala Harris slams Trump tariffs in her first major speech since he took office

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, in her first major public remarks since leaving the White House, criticized President Trump’s tariff policies as “reckless,” saying they pose the risk of taking the country into recession.

“Some people are describing what’s been happening in recent months as absolute chaos. And of course I understand why. It’s certainly true of those tariffs. Tariffs that — as I predicted — are clearly inviting a recession,” Harris said.

She called it the “greatest man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history” and applauded Americans who are rallying against the tariffs, saying they will increase everyday costs and impact retirement accounts and small businesses.

The former vice president who failed in her race against Trump last year was speaking in San Francisco at a gala event for the organization Emerge America, which helps women run for office. Her comments come as Trump hits the 100-day mark of his second term, and as reports show the U.S. economy is contracting.

Harris had made her closing argument in the 2024 campaign about the danger of returning Trump to office. On Wednesday, she criticized her formal rival for more than his economic policy, describing his agenda as “a narrow, self-serving vision of America where they punish truth-tellers, favor loyalists, cash in on their power, and leave everyone else to fend for themselves.”

She warned that if the system of checks and balances in the government falls apart, the country would face a constitutional crisis.

“That is a crisis that will eventually impact everyone, because it would mean that the rules that protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, that ensure each of us has a say about how our government works, will no longer matter,” Harris said.

Harris praised people standing up to the Trump administration

Since leaving Washington in January, Harris has largely remained out of the public eye. She has made brief remarks at events like the NAACP Image awards, and her name has frequently appeared on Democratic fundraising emails, but her speech in San Francisco was the first time she’s spoken directly about Trump.

In her remarks, Harris said she was “inspired” by the courage she’s seen since the start of Trump’s second term from people speaking out about deportations without due process, and judges upholding the rule of law.

She praised Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen who traveled to El Salvador to highlight the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported in error by the Trump administration.

Harris also named Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., who spoke on the Senate floor for 25 hours, calling out Trump’s policies, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who have rallied massive crowds in red states.

Harris, who moved to Los Angeles after leaving office, could still have a future in politics. Those close to her said she is weighing a run for governor of California, or potentially another run for the presidency in 2028 — an election that will include a crowded field of Democrats vying for the nomination.

Ending her remarks, Harris left the crowd with a warning: “things are probably going to get worse before they get better.”

“But we are ready for it,” she said.