Harris frames election as 'fight for America's future'
In Harris' previous races for public office — San Francisco district attorney, California attorney general, U.S. senator — "we were underestimated at practically every turn," she told the crowd.
"But we never gave up, because the future is always worth fighting for — and that's the fight we are in right now: a fight for America's future," she added to thunderous applause.
Harris accepts nomination 'on behalf of the people'
Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president "on behalf of the people."
"My entire career, I've only had one client: the people. And so on behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks," Harris started.
"On behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another," Harris continued, "on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America."
Coalition to March on the DNC protest ends peacefully
Tonight's march has ended peacefully. A few hundred ralliers remain inside Union Park chanting and holding flags.
A smaller group has decided to remain in a street adjacent to the park — Ashland Avenue — sitting on the ground in an effort to keep the public protest continuing outside the park.
Police in riot gear initially surrounded those on the ground, but as some protesters chanted “out of the park, into the street,” police backed off to give them more space to protest.
Harris appeals to 'people of various political views'
Harris took a moment in her speech to appeal to "people of various political views watching tonight," looking directly into the camera and telling them, "I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans."
She added, "You can always trust me to put country above party and self, to hold sacred America's fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power."
Harris recounts what inspired her to become a prosecutor
Harris said tonight that she grew up learning about the values of the Civil Rights Movement, which inspired her to become a lawyer.
"I grew up immersed in the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents had met at a civil rights gathering, and they made sure that we learned about civil rights leaders, including the lawyers like Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley, those who battled in the courtroom to make real the promise of America," she said.
Harris also recounted the story of her best friend in high school, Wanda, who she said was sexually abused by her stepfather.
"This is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor, to protect people like Wanda, because I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity and to justice," Harris said.
Harris' mom taught her girls to 'never do anything half-assed'
Describing her mom, Harris said she was "tough, courageous, a trailblazer." But perhaps the greatest lesson she taught her two daughters was simple.
"Never do anything half-assed. And that is a direct quote," Harris said to laughs and applause.
Trump plays critic-in-chief on social media as Harris speaks
Trump is giving live responses to Harris on his Truth Social website, posting about the speech over half a dozen times since she began.
"Too many 'Thank yous,' too rapidly said, what’s going on with her?" he said as Harris began speaking and tried to calm members of a raucous crowd by repeatedly thanking them.
He panned Harris' reference to "Coach [Tim] Walz," noting "Walz was an ASSISTANT Coach, not a COACH."
He posted, in a reference to Biden's son, "WHERE'S HUNTER?"
He reposted a video panning Harris as a "San Francisco radical," and he lamented that there's a "lot of talk about childhood, we’ve got to get to the Border, Inflation, and Crime!
Harris says the path that led her here was 'no doubt unexpected'
Harris began her speech saying that "the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys."
She spoke about her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, saying, "I miss her every day, and especially right now — and I know she’s looking down, smiling." Harris said that her mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California "with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer."
"When she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional arranged marriage, but as fate would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica. They fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister, Maya, and me," Harris said.
She said her early memories of her parents together were "very joyful ones," saying it was a home filled with laughter and music.
Harris recalls her father: 'Run, Kamala, run'
Harris told the crowd about her father, Jamaican economist Donald Harris, who taught her to be "fearless." When they went to the park, Harris recalled, her mother would say, "Stay close" — but her father would say: "Run, Kamala, run. Don't let anything stop you."
Harris: Biden's 'record is extraordinary'
In her initial remarks after taking the stage, Harris wished her husband a happy anniversary before she thanked Biden for his service.
"When I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude," Harris said, adding: "Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring, and Doug and I love you and Jill and are forever thankful to you both."