Washington: Former US Vice President Kamala Harris has sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, calling it “full of lies” and accusing him of misleading Americans on the economy, voting rights, and Iran.
A day after Trump’s address, Harris told “The Parnas Perspective” host Aaron Parnas on his substack show on Wednesday (local time) that she watched the speech and found it detached from the realities facing ordinary families.
“I watched it. It was full of lies,” she said. “And, you know, when he wasn’t lying… it reminded me of our kids going to show and tell at school.”
She rejected Trump’s assertion that the “state of the union is strong.”
“Absolutely not,” Harris said. “Let me tell you… so many are suffering under the weight of high prices, unaffordable health care, unaffordable housing.”
Describing recent visits to southern states, she recounted meeting a mother in Mississippi with a weekly grocery budget of $150 for four people. “Anything that was in the cart was going to be for her kids,” Harris said, adding that the mother told her she would eat “whatever they don’t eat.”
“She walked over to get bottled water because she can’t drink tap water because the water is brown and toxic. This is America,” Harris said.
Harris also criticised proposed spending priorities. “Who’s it roaring for when you put a $1 trillion cut to Medicaid?” she asked. “Meanwhile, a $1 trillion tax cut for the richest people in America. That’s what’s happening in our country right now.”
On voting rights, Harris strongly opposed the SAVE Act, which Trump urged Congress to pass.
“Absolutely not,” she said. She argued that the measure would “require that people show a birth certificate or a passport to register to vote” and claimed “it’s something like 40 per cent of Americans don’t have those documents.”
She warned of what she described as efforts “to suppress and obstruct the ability of people to vote,” adding that “powerful forces” were “intentionally attempting to destroy our democracy and the voice of the people.”
Turning to foreign policy, Harris raised concerns about rising tensions with Iran. She said Trump had previously claimed “that he completely eviscerated their program” and called that “complete and utter BS.”
“And now he is sending American troops to the region with the very real potential that American men and women will be deployed to combat,” she said.
“The American people do not want another war and do not want our sons and daughters sent to initiate action that is and can be avoided,” Harris added. She also said US allies “do not agree with the attack that the president has taken” and warned that weakening alliances “does not bode well for national security.”
Asked about the 2024 election, which Trump won, Harris said, “Oh, I have many regrets. I mean, I wrote a book about it, right?… my focus is not on what could have been as much as what we need to do right now.”
The State of the Union address is an annual speech delivered by the US President to Congress, outlining legislative priorities and assessing the nation’s condition. It often sets the tone for domestic and foreign policy debates ahead of elections.
The 2026 midterm elections will determine control of Congress. They are widely seen as a referendum on the sitting President’s agenda and can significantly shape US domestic and international policy direction.
(IANS)
