Kamala Harris warned against authoritarianism and encouraged Americans to support their institutions in a speech Wednesday night, making some of her highest-profile comments since leaving the White House. Harris spoke at the 20th anniversary gala of Emerge America, a group that focuses on training and networking for women in U.S. politics. The remarks are Harris's most significant since losing the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump.

"We all know, President Trump, his administration, and their allies are counting on the notion that fear can be contagious. They are counting on the notion that, if they can make some people afraid, it will have a chilling effect on others," Harris said. "But what they’ve overlooked is that fear isn’t the only thing that’s contagious. Courage is contagious."

"What we are, in fact, witnessing is a high-velocity event, where a vessel is being used for the swift implementation of an agenda that has been decades in the making."

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Harris's comments come the day after President Trump marked his 100th day in office. She discussed the economic shockwaves that have arisen from President Trump's broad tariff policies, the ongoing legal battles over deportations, and due process for alleged criminals, as well as the Trump administration's targeting of higher education.

"If Congress fails to do its part, or if the courts fail to do their part, or if both do their part, but if the president defies them anyway, well, friends, that is called a constitutional crisis," she warned. "And that is a crisis that will eventually impact everyone. Because it would mean that the rules that protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, that ensure each of us has a say about how our government works, will no longer matter."