Vice-President Kamala Harris, in accepting the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday night, promised a “new way forward” for all Americans. She called on voters to move beyond the “bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” closing the party’s convention in Chicago amid cheers and a rain of balloons. Her historic nomination as the first Black and Asian-American woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket came after a swift turn of events that saw President Joe Biden step aside.

In her nearly 45-minute address, Harris reintroduced herself to the nation, sharing personal stories of growing up in a working-class neighborhood as the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants. She highlighted her background as a prosecutor and her record as vice-president under Biden, arguing that these experiences uniquely qualify her to lead the country.

Harris also paid tribute to her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who she said shaped her life and political career by instilling in her a sense of justice and the drive to make a difference. Her sister Maya also spoke, celebrating their mother as a trailblazer who set high expectations for her daughters.

Kamala Harris appealed to American families, promising to build an “opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to compete and succeed.” She pledged to “end America’s housing shortage” and support entrepreneurs but did not outline specific policy changes from her current administration.

In response, Donald Trump criticized Harris’s speech on his platform, Truth Social, and later on Fox News. He questioned her effectiveness during her tenure as vice president, asking, “Why didn’t she do something about the things of which she complains?”