Kamala Harris accepts vice presidential nod, says Trump costs American ‘lives and livelihoods’

Saturday, 22 August 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

WASHINGTON (Reuters): US Senator Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president on Wednesday, imploring the country to elect Joe Biden in November and accusing President Donald Trump of failed leadership that had cost lives and livelihoods during a pandemic.

Making history as the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major US presidential ticket, Harris made a direct appeal to Black Americans and other crucial constituencies that Democrats need in the Nov. 3 election.

“The constant chaos leaves us adrift, the incompetence makes us feel afraid, the callousness makes us feel alone. It’s a lot,” she said, speaking from an events centre in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, that was largely empty because of the coronavirus outbreak.

“We must elect a president... who will bring all of us together – Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous – to achieve the future we collectively want. We must elect Joe Biden,” Harris said.

On the third night of a four-night convention that has featured a crush of women headliners, moderators and speakers, Harris pressed the case against Trump, saying his divisive leadership had brought the country to an “inflection point.”