Former Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to call for the “revival of the American dream” and blame Democrats as well as Republicans for failed economic policies in a speech Saturday night, according to excerpts shared with NBC News.
“Democrats never bought into trickle-down [economics]. That was Ronald Reagan’s doing. But plenty of Democrats did buy into the flawed assumptions behind it,“ Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, plans to say at the Arkansas Democratic Party’s annual Fisher Shackelford Dinner.
Democrats, Harris will argue, believed “that, if we just trusted the wisdom of the market, working people would eventually get taken care of. That growth at the top would take care of everyone else. And so even when people did everything right — worked hard days and into the night, the economic system essentially stopped delivering for them.”
She’ll add that “over time, for so many, the American Dream has all but turned into American myth.”
Her remarks come amid speculation that Harris, who first ran for president ahead of the 2020 presidential election and later became former President Joe Biden’s running mate, may run for president again in two years.
“Listen, I might. I’m thinking about it,” she told the Rev. Al Sharpton in New York City earlier this month when asked if she plans to run in 2028.
“Let me also say this, I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States. ... I know what the job is, and I know what it requires,” Harris told Sharpton.
On Saturday, Harris’ prepared remarks also include a call for Democrats to plan how they’ll govern if they take back power in Washington after President Donald Trump leaves office.
“Let us also pursue a vision for the future. Yes, one that deals with Trump’s remaining time in office. But equally important — one that is geared for when we’re on the other side and he is finally out of office,” the former vice president plans to say.
She’ll outline what she calls a “bold agenda,” including a plan for “public education that sets students up for success in the 21st century — not debt for a lifetime,” a “tax code that rewards hard work — not just vast wealth,” and “guardrails around social media and on AI that serve the public — not just the profit.”
While Harris is considered to be a likely 2028 candidate, plenty of other Democratic leaders are also expected to compete for their party’s nomination in two years.
Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Wes Moore of Maryland, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Sens. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Rep. Ro Khanna are among those widely considered to be weighing a run.