Remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention – Aug. 19, 2024

[cheers] Well, good good evening, America!

On November 5, our nation will hire a president, a commander in chief and leader of the free world. So let's compare their resumes, shall we?

One candidate worked at McDonald's while she was in college at an HBCU. [cheers] HU. The other was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and helped his daddy in the family business—housing discrimination, that is. She became a career prosecutor while he became a career criminal with 34 felonies, two impeachments and one porn star to prove it. [cheers]

Her entire career as an elected district attorney, attorney general and senator, she's always worked for one client—the people.

Meanwhile, he's a 78-year-old lifelong predator, fraudster, and cheat known for inciting violent mobs. [boos] Listen y'all, he's only looked out for one person—himself. As women are dying, he is bragging about overturning Roe. And y'all know I come from Texas, and right now in Texas—come on Texas—but right now in Texas they want to institute the death penalty. That is a problem. While Kamala Harris is fighting for our reproductive rights to be restored. [cheers]

She is also the leader we need on the global stage. She helped secure the release of Americans wrongfully detained in Russia. [cheers]

At the same time, he cozies up to his role model, Vladimir Putin, and MAGA holds legislation hostage here at home, critical resources to secure the border, military aid to Ukraine, and even the Farm Bill. She's lived the American dream while he's been America's nightmare. [cheers]

America, looking at the two choices before you, who would you hire: Donald Trump [crowds yells “No!”] or Kamala Harris? [cheers]

Kamala Harris has a resume. Donald Trump has a rap sheet. [cheers]

She presides over the Senate while he keeps our national secrets next to his thinking chair. [laughter] Y'all know what I said that other time, in Mara-a-Lago?

While Donald Trump wants to put our 1787 constitution through his Project 2025 paper shredder and make every day January 6, Kamala Harris is fighting to fulfill the promise of America.

In the real world, this wouldn't even be close, but this election is. Don't make a mistake. We are the underdogs in this fight even though there is only one person qualified, only one person who's done the work and who has delivered the results. And she needs you. She needs your one vote, this November. Can we count on you? [cheers]

Some of you know a little bit of my history, some of you don't, so let me tell you, I was a public defender. [cheers] I did criminal defense as well as practice civil rights law for almost two decades. I know a good prosecutor when I see one. Kamala Harris is the kind of prosecutor we longed for in the cases like those of Breonna Taylor. Yes. She was the first attorney general in the nation to order that her officers wear body cams and she started the Back on Track program to reduce recidivism. [applause]

Listen, y'all, she did all these things because she genuinely cares about people. She sees each person as just that—a person, not a statistic. She's proven that since the first day, she stepped into a courtroom and said, what y'all already heard, Hillary say, I did not copy off of her speech. I just want y'all to know. She walked into that courtroom and said, “Kamala Harris, for the people” and she meant that. [applause]

Many of you know her credentials. But what I love about Kamala Harris goes beyond her resume. It’s that she sees the humanity in everyone. She's the only candidate in this race who is capable of empathy.

When I first got to Congress, I wasn't sure I made the right decision. The chaos caucus couldn't elect a speaker and the Oversight Committee was unhinged. I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president's residence for the first time. As I approached Vice President Harris for our official photo, she turned to me and asked, “What's wrong?”

Mind you, we'd never met. But she saw right through me. She saw the distress. I immediately began crying [pauses to hold back tears, cheers from crowd] and the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened. [pauses again, cheers from crowd] It's so hard for me to tell this story. She then said, among other things, “You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you. And so do I. [wipes a tear, cheers from crowd] Okay. I’m gonna stop. Okay.

The next month I went viral for the first of many times to come for hitting Republicans with a dose of their own medicine. [cheers] That brief but impactful interaction gave me my legislative legs and I've been running ever since. [cheers]

The question before us is, will a vindictive, vile villain violate voters vision [cheers] for a better America or not?

I hear alliterations are back in style. [laughter]

We deserve better. We deserve a president who can be a bright light in a sea of darkness. One who will pull us forward because we won't go back. [cheers]

Amanda Gorman said it best. There's always light. If only we are brave enough to see it, if only we are brave enough to be it. Kamala Harris showed me that light. And America, when she is our president, together we will shine as that beacon of hope and freedom around the world once more.

God bless y'all. [cheers]

PBS NewsHour. “WATCH: Rep. Jasmine Crockett speaks at 2024 Democratic National Convention | Night 1.” YouTube video, 9:52. Aug. 19, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyPhJAWKr1E