In her first campaign rally since former President Donald J. Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday sharply criticized the former president, calling him a “con man who believes he is above the law” and arguing that he should be disqualified from holding office.
Harris, who was speaking at a state Democratic Party dinner in downtown Detroit, rejected Trump's false claims that her trial was “rigged,” just like the 2020 presidential election, and defended the judicial process behind her felony conviction.
“Simply put, Donald Trump thinks he is above the law,” she said. “This should be a disqualification for anyone who wants to become president of the United States.”
Her speech on Saturday night capped a day of campaigning in the key battleground state of Michigan, where Harris, accompanied by actress Octavia Spencer, attended a fundraiser in Ann Arbor and stopped by a Black-owned bookstore in Ypsilanti.
In Detroit, the vice president began her speech with remarks about the Gaza war. As she attempted to explain the Biden administration's months-long efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, protesters rose to their feet, shouting at her and quickly removed her from the venue. Harris responded harshly: “I appreciate and respect your opinion, but I'm speaking now.”
She then continued her speech: “We have worked every day to end this conflict by ensuring Israel's security, bringing all hostages home, ending the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensuring that Palestinians enjoy their right to self-determination, dignity and freedom,” she said. “As President Biden said last week, the time has come to end this war.”
Harris, a former top California prosecutor, accused Trump of attacking “the foundations of our justice system” in the election. She said the former president was convicted by a 12-person jury selected in part by his defense team, who had a chance to present their side of the story.
“Do you know why he complains? Because cheaters don't like being caught,” she said.
A Trump campaign spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The event took place in a key battleground state with the stakes raised. Biden won Michigan's primary in February 81% to 13%, defeating a campaign that urged Democrats to vote “independent” in protest of his support for Israel. But more than 100,000 voters, including progressives, young people and many in the state's large, politically active Arab American community, took the stand against him. Biden's campaign is also trying to solidify support from black voters in cities such as Detroit.
