CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention will “share her story” to a national audience and provide “an optimistic vision for America’s future,” according to the party, but is all but certain to go light on details about what she plans to do if elected.
On Day 4 of the DNC, the Harris campaign has remained vague on how the nominee will tackle key issues if she’s elected as the nation’s first female president.
The details aren’t likely to spill out in her Thursday speech, which will cap a convention that organizers describe as “filled with joy, love and happiness.”
Delegates and party officials are breathing a sigh of relief that Ms. Harris, 59, replaced a low-polling President Biden, 81, at the top of the ticket.
Harris campaign officials said she will talk about her life story and whom she would help if elected.
She’ll also dedicate her speech to attacking her opponent, former President Donald Trump, with whom she’s running neck and neck in battleground states that will determine the winner in November.
After talking about her upbringing and early career as a California prosecutor, she’ll outline “a new way forward” and contrast it with Mr. Trump.
“On that stage tonight, you’ll see a champion for working people all across the country, a defender of our fundamental freedoms and a prosecutor who will make the case against Donald Trump,” campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said. “Most importantly, what you’ll see is the next president of the United States.”
Mr. Trump plans to offer live counterprogramming on his Truth Social site.
“We will expose all of her Radicalism, the horrible job she did at the Border, Crime and Foreign Relations, and her Weaponization against her Political Opponent, using corrupt Prosecutors and Courts in New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta,” the GOP nominee posted.
Ms. Harris has embraced liberal policies throughout her political career, but her campaign reversed her positions in the past few weeks on key issues in a bid to win over more moderate battleground state voters.
Ms. Harris hasn’t given a single press conference since she launched her bid for the White House last month.
Her speech will center on the Day 4 convention theme, “for our future,” organizers said.
Other speakers include Govs. Maura Healy of Massachusetts, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Roy Cooper of North Carolina.
At least a half-dozen congressional Democrats will speak, as will former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was grievously injured in a mass shooting in Tucson in 2011.
Democrats view the convention so far as a tremendous success that has built on Ms. Harris’ uptick in the polls since replacing Mr. Biden on the ticket.
Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who hosted the convention on Wednesday, described the post-Biden confab as a gift.
“I am so happy now,” he said. “It’s almost like weeping has endured through the night, but joy cometh in the morning, and in many ways, we see a new day dawning in America. Page being turned.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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