Kamala Harris Condemns ‘Perversion’ of Bullying, ‘Coward’ Leaders
“We know our country is going to be as strong as our willingness to fight for it, and to fight for what we stand for,” Harris said on a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, Sunday.

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty
Kamala Harris condemned Donald Trump without using his name Sunday in a forceful stump speech in Rochester, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, as she and running mate Tim Walz barnstormed the state on a bus tour accompanied by their spouses.
“Over the last several years, there's been this kind of perversion that has taken place, I think, which is to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down when,” Harris said, flanked by her husband Doug Emhoff, Walz and his wife Gwen Walz. “What we know is the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.”
“That's what strength looks like. Anybody who's about beating down other people is a coward,” she added.
Harris, Walz, and their spouses barreled through the critical swing state throughout Sunday as they seek to shore up support ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The state is a pivotal part of both her and Donald Trump’s quest for 270 electoral votes. Trump visited the state for a rally in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and will return for another event on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
In her speech on Sunday, Harris praised Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Chris Deluzio and acknowledged the state’s importance. “You’ve got a lot of work Pennsylvania on your shoulders right now that you're carrying,” she told supporters.
Harris used that framing to emphasize her “fight” message, an element of her theme surrounding protecting individual freedoms.
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
“This campaign for us is really born out of love of country,” she said. “We love our country, and we know our country is going to be as strong as our willingness to fight for it, and to fight for what we stand for.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
- Account (completed)
- Payment (completed)
- Confirmation (completed)
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
- 1Account
- 2Payment
- 3Confirmation

