Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris stepped back into the national spotlight on Wednesday, urging Americans to unite against President Donald Trump and what she described as “the most severe man-made economic crisis in modern presidential history.”

Delivering her most prominent speech since leaving office, Harris marked a political comeback after her loss to Trump in last year’s election. Widely seen as a top contender for California’s governorship in 2026 — and potentially eyeing another White House run — Harris used the moment to sharpen her critique of Trump’s leadership.

Speaking on the 100th day of Trump’s new term, Harris warned that his signature tariffs were “steering the country toward recession.” She condemned his administration as one that “rewards loyalists, sidelines truth-tellers, enriches the few, and abandons the rest.”

Harris addressed an enthusiastic hometown audience in the San Francisco Bay Area at an event hosted by Emerge America, a group dedicated to electing Democratic women and closely tied to Harris’s own political roots.

Trump, meanwhile, has had a turbulent start to his second term, signing 142 executive orders — more than any recent predecessor — as the U.S. economy recorded its first quarterly decline in three years. Trump has pointed fingers at former President Joe Biden for sluggish GDP numbers, while emphasizing resilient domestic spending.

Polling shows Trump’s approval has dipped to 42%, with just 36% of Americans backing his economic management. Reuters/Ipsos surveys also reveal a confidence gap within the parties: 83% of Republicans trust their leadership, compared to 71% of Democrats.

Democrats remain divided over how to confront Trump — some advocating a low-profile approach in hopes his policies implode on their own, while progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders rally supporters across the country.

Harris has chosen a confrontational path, calling on allies to raise their voices and saluting figures like Senators Cory Booker and Sanders, as well as grassroots activists, for their “moral clarity” and boldness. “Courage is contagious,” she declared.

She also issued a stark warning, cautioning that the nation faces a constitutional crisis if Congress or the courts fail to act. Her message to Americans was clear: “In times of crisis, the lesson is — we must not scatter.”

According to an Emerson College/Inside California Politics/The Hill poll, Harris currently leads the pack in the June 2026 California gubernatorial primary with 31% support among registered voters. However, the state remains divided, with voters evenly split on whether she should pursue the governor’s office. Other prominent Democrats, including former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and ex-Representative Katie Porter, have already declared their candidacies.