Kamala Harris calls on voters to put 'guardrails' on Trump in midterm elections
Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday urged voters to put "guardrails" on President Donald Trump in the upcoming midterm elections, warning during a stop on her book tour that public trust in government is eroding.
Harris made the remarks during an evening event at the Altria Theater in Richmond, Virginia, where she criticized the Trump administration as focused on "destruction."
She spoke for roughly an hour, fielding questions on issues ranging from immigration enforcement to the cost of living.
Asked about her mental state, Harris said she felt "sadness, frustration and anger."
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The former vice president pointed to widespread public anxiety over healthcare costs and grocery prices and stressed the importance of voting in November, which she said offers a chance to "put guardrails up" on the White House.
The conversation then turned to immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, focusing on the tactics used by federal agents after two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, were shot in January.
"We need immigration enforcement but not what we are witnessing," Harris told the audience.
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She criticized the Trump administration for its initial response to Pretti’s death, saying officials tried to dismiss what people saw on video.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist," while White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller labeled him an "assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents."
Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week that officials were relying on real-time information from agents as they sought to provide an initial account of the incident.
"We were being relayed information from on the ground from CBP agents and officers that were there. We were using the best information we had at the time, seeking to be transparent with the American people and get them what we knew to be true on the ground," she said.
The shooting has prompted protests nationwide, with demonstrators calling for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to withdraw from the city.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters at a press conference on Friday that the Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death.